Last touched in the 1970s, this apartment in Paris's 19th Arrondissement was, according to architect Lina Lagerstrom, of Septembre, "divided into a lot of small rooms and in very bad shape." The owners, a young family of four, called in Lagerstrom, fellow Septembre architect Dounia Hamdouch and their team to create an open kitchen/living room in Scandinavian style with birch plywood, white paint, and a hint of mint.

Above: The remodel was done for a creative couple, Sabine and Alexis—she's a graphic designer, he's a writer/comedian—who wanted a combination of "bright, lively, and cozy." Birch ply cabinetry defines the kitchen from the rest of the room, and the walls, ceiling, and floor are white ("painted floors are unusual; Parisians are used to their oak parquet," says Sabine).

Above: The carpentry is the work of Fred de Gasquet of FredFabric. The tall cupboards (which hide the fridge) surround the door to the bathroom.

Above: The low perch dividing the kitchen and living area is a storage space with a removable wooden top for bottles of wine and water. Mint subway tiles and red light cords provide the requested color. See our post on Zangra for similar pendant lights.

Above: A trio of mismatched chairs surround the marble-topped table. The white beam was a surprise during construction: "We found a bearing post in one of the walls we planned to demolish," explains Sabine. "It was a big deal at first, but we got used to it. We even like it."

Above: The double-exposure windows overlook the rooftops of the Right Bank. Sabine's final word: "It's a great place to cook while watching the kids—well-conceived and functional. And from the sofa, it offers a great view."

Above: Septembre's plans show the bedrooms and bath off the kitchen and the spiral stairs to the roof.

For more inspiration, browse the Kitchens in our photo gallery. (Search by color and materials to find the look you're after.)

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/compact-scandi-style-plywood-kitchen-in-paris-by-septembre-architectsFri, 27 Feb 2015 02:00:00 -0800Margot GuralnickThis sexy, minimalist overhaul is the work of interior and furniture designer Jacek Kolasiński of Loft Szczecin, a firm based in Szczecin, Poland (an hour and a half north of Berlin). The grand structure was used as a hospital during the Berlin Wall era and then fell to ruin. It's since been converted into four residences; this one belongs to a family of four, who gave Kolasiński total freedom to do it up—with restraint.

"My concept was to use classic Bauhaus elements from the twenties and combine them with Scandinavian designs and some Polish accents," says Kolasiński. Above L: A Vitra chaise found nearby in an old warehouse under a pile of windows and newly reupholstered. Above R: Gubi's Semi Pendants, a 1968 design by Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup, hang in the entry, which is furnished with a bench and wall-hung key cabinet by Kolasiński, who told us, "The chest is used to store shoes; it was inspired by old Polish dowry chests."

Above: In the living room, leather sofas supplied by the owners stand under a Bent Chandelier by New York architecture firm Workstead. The framed posters are by Polish artists from the fifties and seventies—bringing to light work from his country is one of Kolasiński's missions.

Above: The black midcentury sideboard is another of the many pieces Kolasiński bought at auction and had restored in Poland—Loft Szczecin also sells refurbished Danish, Czech, and Polish furniture from the twenties, fifties, and sixties and is a source worth discovering.

Above: A view into the kitchen.

Above: Gubi's Ronde Pendants by German designer Oliver Schick hang over the family table in the streamlined eat-in kitchen.

Above: The wide floorboards are oak with an oil finish.

Above: The apartment overlooks parkland. Kolasiński had the curtain rods fabricated by a locksmith—"thanks to a very special construction, installation elements are not visible." All the apartment curtains are sheer linen sewn in Poland.

Above: Kolasiński made the table in the formal dining room with Vitra legs purchased at auction. The chairs came out of Kodak's old Berlin headquarters. The hanging lights are by UK designer Samuel Wilkinson for Decode.

Above: The plates on the wall are vintage Polish designs: "They're the work of some of the best Polish sculptors and graphic artists," says Kolasiński.

Above L and R: The chairs are backed in velvet of varying shades.

Above: Gray linen upholstery and bedding in the master bedroom. The angled oak bed and bedside table are Kolasiński designs. The bed linens are by Polish company Yelen.

Above: Kolasiński's designs for the house were fabricated by Marcin Wyszecki at Loft Szczecin's workshop in Poland using joinery and other traditional techniques. "Carpenter-made wooden furniture creates a cozy atmosphere in the apartment," says Kolasiński.

Above: Kolasiński cloaked the bathroom in shades of fog and designed the oak chaise and sink cabinet. The wash basin is a Philippe Starck design for Duravit. The walls here and throughout the apartment are treated with limewash paint—go to Remodeling 101 to learn about the age-old material and how to use it.

Above: The room is anchored by an extra-tall painted baseboard highlighted with a stripe. The steel and wood chair is Swedish design firm Afteroom's "homage to the functionalism."

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/a-sexy-minimalist-remodel-in-berlin-by-jacek-kolasiski-of-loft-in-polandMon, 23 Feb 2015 02:00:00 -0800Margot GuralnickAt their ranch in stark Sonora, Mexico, designers Jorge Almada and Marie-Anne Midy have perfected their own brand of rough-hewn but impeccably detailed luxury. The couple are the brains behind Casamidy, a furniture company in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, that helped launch saddle leather and heavy canvas seating into the vanguard. Almada and Midy themselves and their two young sons are based in Brussels, but Mexico is their home away from home—they have a place in San Miguel, and Almada spent memorable stretches of his childhood at a ranch his father once owned in Sonora. On a visit back to the area, an aunt of Almada's invited the family to reestablish roots in Sonora by building a casita on her ranch.

Designed by Almada and Midy and constructed in 10 months, the Casamidy compound is as polyglot as they are, a combination hacienda and Belgian country house. It's located about an hour due south of Bisbee, Arizona, in the Sierra Madre mountain range, one of the few places in Mexico where it snows on occasion. Come cross the border and take a look.

Photography by Jorge Almada.

Above: The front porch serves as an outdoor living room with furniture upholstered in Casamidy's signature waxed canvas.

The ranch setting is remote, and it's a study in contrasts: "Both blistering hot and very cold; bone dry and monsoonal," says Almada. So the trick was come up with a practical design that works year-round. "We used the materials on hand, brick and concrete, as well as the local talent—masons who are also cowboys."

Above: A fine place to hang your hats, the double-height main room, with its painted brick and exposed beams, was inspired by the "clean, angular, pointy-roofed look" of classic Flemish architecture. Its palette of white and green with accents of brown leather and black stripes carries through in every room. Casamidy designs, including the Sayulita Table, folding Grenadier Side Chairs, and Sonora Mirror, are mingled with San Miguel antiques and family pieces. The floor is poured cement with cracking and the occasional footprint. The windows are sculpted iron, and, like much of the fine work, were executed by Casamidy's highly skilled San Miguel crew.

The house is off the grid and heated by wood-burning stoves, including a giant one in the living room. "We have a generator that runs from sunset to bedtime, and our water comes from a perforated well and is very, very clean," says Almada.

Above: The "Sonora green" of the rafters is applied to the rustic door frames. The woven leather chair is a Casamidy classic.

Above: The house has a camp kitchen with bodega chairs and table and Metro-style shelving (from Costco) for enamelware. In lieu of a fridge, food is stored in a cooler.

Above: The painted headboard in the master bedroom is festooned with Mexican carved wood flowers. The beds in the casita all have plaid sheets modeled after the "grime-hiding" bedding Almada remembers admiring as a boy on a visit to a historic submarine.

Above: The master bath doubles as a lounge. The Portofino Chaise (in a Toiles du Soleil black and white stripe) stands on a custom rug bearing the family cattle brand. The Sonora green armoire has Casamidy's round Altamura Pulls of iron and stitched leather.

Above: The highlight of the room is a hammered Copper Tub from Counter Cultures, "a wink to the nearby copper mines of Cananea and Bisbee," says Almada. The leather-hung mirror is Casamidy's Pila Seca design.

Above L: A Casamidy filigreed sofa faces the living room fireplace that the family dubbed the Locomotive. Above R: The Hiver mirror of sculpted wrought iron.

Above: Accessed by ladder from the main room, the boys' bunk is in a loft. ("It feels like a treehouse, but it's hell for us to go up with laundry," says Almada, "so we plan to install a pulley system.") The camp beds are Casamidy's Altamura design of wrought iron cloaked in waxed canvas. (See more of the line in our post Indoor/Outdoor Furniture Made from Salvaged Canvas.) The list of words on the wall are Almada and Midy's behavior reminders for their sons.

Above: Enamelware designs crop up throughout the casita. Almada says the chests of drawers "have been in my family forever."

Above: Days at the ranch are spent riding, picnicking, and kicking back on the veranda.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/10-favorites-rooms-with-shocking-colorTue, 17 Feb 2015 08:00:00 -0800Meredith SwinehartThe most interesting houses tend to be in an eternal state of evolving. Such is the case with the Beverly Hills bungalow that film producer Carla moved into 16 years ago. Previously, she had a small place in Laurel Canyon but longed for a midcentury house. She found her solution when she spotted an early 1970s design that had been heavily decorated in "bad Santa Fe style" but was full of promise.

Enlisting the help of her architect friend Hagy Belzberg, a protégé of Frank Gehry's, Carla brought the place back to its original, pared-down, Schindler-inspired form. For the interiors, she worked with the late designer Milo Baglioni, who delivered exactly what she was after: orange shag, a B&B Italia glass-and-steel dining table, and Marimekko drapes in the bedroom.

Over the years, Carla continued to tweak the rooms, but when water damaged her terrazzo flooring, it was time for a second major reconstruction, which she undertook with the help of another architect friend Julie Hart. For the interiors, Carla (now with two young children in tow) realized she needed help, and, after spotting LA design firm Nickey Kehoe on Remodelista, she hired partner Todd Nickey to help her pull the rooms together for the next phase of her and her kids' lives. It's been a good match: "Todd and l are completely simpatico; he made the house look cohesive for the first time. The blend of the old, the new, the vintage, the sentimental, it just all feels organic now and it feels like me."

Above: This is LA: The open living room/dining room overlooks the pool. Adam Silverman ceramic pendant lights were previously hung throughout the space; to create a focal point, Todd clustered them over the Saarinen dining table.

Above: The table stands next to the U-shaped kitchen, which architect Julie Hart opened up to the dining room. After taking down the wall, she added built-in bookshelves that conceal the refrigerator on the other side. The photograph is by artist Laurie Simmons, a friend of Carla's (and mother of Lena Dunham).

Above: On the other side of the bookshelves, the fridge is wrapped in wood, connecting it to the teak cabinets and exposed beams. The countertop is made of CaesarStone—read about this miracle material in Remodeling 101: Engineered Quartz.

Above: The now-white breakfast room has seen several color incarnations over the years, including Hermès orange and indigo blue. As Todd explains, "It's one of our favorite spots in the house—the light is perfect in there. We were going to paint, but we all loved the serenity of the white too much." The Formica-topped table came from Carla's childhood home; it's paired with classic Breuer chairs and pendants by Adam Silverman.

Above: In the family room, white-framed family photos hang over vintage leather Togos sofas designed by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset. The slatted coffee table is a 1950s design; the vintage Moroccan rug is from Woven Accents of West Hollywood.

Above: The living area is set off by a gray-painted wall and sofa custom designed by Nickey Kehoe. To connect the fireplace with the room, Todd inserted a two-tiered ledge/bookshelf made of Douglas fir.

Above: The hall is lit by a long, narrow skylight original to the house.

Above: A BDDW Captain's Mirror sits above a vintage Paul McCobb dresser. Carla had a hat rack made with spacing far enough apart for wide brims. The papier-mâché hare is a recent addition picked up at the Nickey Kehoe Shop.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/los-angeles-beverly-hills-modern-home-remodel-by-nickey-kehoeMon, 16 Feb 2015 04:00:00 -0800Sarah LonsdaleLeave it to the French to devise the world's most elegant oyster shack (complete with office and dining areas), located on a waterfront site in the south of Brittany.

Raum Architects, a studio founded in 2007 by Benjamin and Julien Boré Perraud (graduates of the School of Architecture in Nantes), designed the structure as a temporary dwelling and workspace for an oyster farmer. The building is composed of two areas: an office/lounge space with a kitchen and dining area and a loftlike hangar for oyster processing. The two wings are connected by an outdoor dining patio area.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original ran on January 26, 2013, as part of our In the Library issue.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/the-world-is-his-oyster-a-modern-fishing-shack-by-the-seaFri, 13 Feb 2015 02:00:00 -0800Julie CarlsonJohan Bouman and Pieter Franssens, the Dutch owners of Château de la Resle, describe it as "one of those typical countryside estates you see when driving in France that make you want to stop and discover what's inside." This one—after a decadelong renovation and influx of Dutch design—is now a hotel that stands ready for inspection.

Above: Located in the Burgundy town of Montigny-la-Resle, Château de la Resle dates back to the 17th century (with more recent 19th-century parts) and has "seen a long series of aristocracy passing through," says Bouman. He and Franssens bought the estate from a Parisian family who used it for 50 years as a vacation place.

Above: "No permanent occupation since the Second World War and the last renovation dating to the sixties—you can imagine the amount of work," says Bouman, who owns a food company in Holland and originally came to France to open a subsidiary. "Bit by bit over the last ten years, we renovated everything: roofs, heating, electricity, bathrooms, kitchens, everything. And we added a restaurant, spa, and pool."

The first-floor hall, shown here, leads to three of the guest rooms; there are a total of six, including four suites, no two alike.

Above: Shades of gray and mauve in Chablis, one of the rooms off the main hall. "We made all the plans for the renovation and the decoration ourselves," says Bouman. "We come from creative backgrounds and have been collecting art and design for years."

Above: Noyers, the château's family suite—with its own living room and kitchen—is situated in a 19th-century farm building on the grounds. The beams, Bouman reports, are original: "The roof structure was in perfect condition and we only dusted it off—surprising as the rest was in a terrible state."

Above: The bathroom in Vezelay, the other suite in the farm building, is outfitted with Patricia Urquiola's Vieques Tub and Sinks made by Agape.

Above: Built by a craftsman in Venice, a spiral stair in the Vezelay suite connects the downstairs living area to the bedroom.

Above: Over the course of gathering and commissioning furnishings for the hotel, Bouman and Franssens found themselves with a gallery's worth of contemporary Dutch design and decided to launch their own Château de la Resle Design Shop. Favorite pieces are put to use throughout the hotel, including chairs by Christien Meindertsma and a Hendrik Kerstens photograph at the breakfast table.

Above: Table d'hôtes, the château's restaurant, features a custom kitchen in oak and "powder-coated construction beams" designed by Roderick Vos.

Above: The restaurant includes a chef's table and sitting area.

Above: The kitchen opens to the pool area.

Above: Roderick Vos's Chablis Candelabra & Bottle is one of the designs launched by Château de la Resle. Shown here in black powder-coated aluminum, it's also available in a copper finish (see below). The Chablis Candelabra fits on any wine bottle.

Above: On display in the lobby design shop, Roderick Vos's Dresser Montigny is inspired by the bespoke kitchen cabinetry he created for the hotel. The chopping boards in Beechwood and Walnut are also special editions for Château de la Resle.

Above: The pool is surrounded by a wooden deck. There's also a gym, sauna, and massage room.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/chateau-de-la-resle-hotel-and-design-shop-burgundy-franceWed, 11 Feb 2015 06:00:00 -0800Margot GuralnickThe chicest room in Paris right now? Our vote goes to designer Christian Liaigre's new vintage furniture gallery in the heart of the 7th Arrondisement, which he designed in collaboration with antiques dealer and self-described "scénographer" Florence Lopez, who plucked the majority of the furnishings straight from her own shop.

Above: The fireplace wall is an homage to the great 20th-century artist Sonia Delaunay, who decorated a car in this pattern in 1918—and in the 1950s showcased her own work in this very space. Lopez told us: "In the early 2000s, I proposed to Charlotte Gainsbough—one of my fair clients—that I paint her Paris living room with this fabulous pattern. She wasn't sure, so I was very happy to finally realize the wall."

The open-by-appointment gallery—"full of beautiful light, very high ceilings, like a theater set," says Lopez—is at 61 Rue de Varenne, which also houses Liaigre's main Paris showroom. All the pieces are for sale and the setup keeps evolving as new designs replace sold items. The mirrors are circa 1905 designs from Prague with wooden frames that incorporate leather and cardboard. Read on for more details.

Above: Green walls envelop a pair of 1960s freeform sofas by American designer Harvey Probber that have brass legs and their original brown upholstery. The bronze side tables are Liaigre's Guéridon Fold design.

"We wanted an antiques gallery that resembled no other," Lopez told Fashion Sphinx. "On one side, you have Christian Liaigre, who has been creating furniture for 30 years—pieces with pure lines. And on the other side, you have me, an antiques specialist with a whimsical and bohemian touch." Photograph by Neil Bicknell via Fashion Sphinx.

Above: Lopez and Liaigre adeptly combine art and design from a range of eras. The painting, Green Purple Circles, is circa 1970 by Genevieve Claisse. The green side table is a classic from American designer Paul Frankl's 1930s Skyscraper series.

Above: The space evokes Lopez's own shop, Atelier Lopez, which is set in a 1920s artist's studio in St. Germain des Prés.

Above: Art Deco andirons of solid copper front a 1930s French "theater fireplace," a set piece made of lacquered wood and studded leather.

Above: One of a pair of Joe Colombo rattan chairs made in Milan in the 1960s. Photograph by Neil Bicknell via Fashion Sphinx.

Above: Lopez and Liaigre have been friends for 30 years. They plan to reinvent the space in time for summer. For more, go to Florence Lopez and Christian Liaigre.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/christian-liaigres-new-vintage-showroom-in-paris-designed-with-florence-lopezMon, 09 Feb 2015 11:00:00 -0800Margot GuralnickLocated on the banks of the river in Villennes-sur-Seine, 20 miles west of Paris, a traditional house enters the modern age thanks to an overhaul by Parisian architect and furniture designer Olivier Chabaud.

Chabaud believes that architects should create homes that withstand design trends; for him, this means being attentive to the innate characteristics of a space and using the varying intensities of light to select his materials. In this project Chabaud added a new poolhouse and swimming pool very much in keeping with the original structure; throughout, he used simple materials such as wood and concrete and their contemporary detailing that bind the old and new together.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/olivier-chabaud-renovation-villennes-sur-seine-franceMon, 09 Feb 2015 02:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayThe two-level, 639-square-foot flat in a Victorian row house in Hermon Hill, London, had been stripped of its original detail and was a blank slate when London architect Carl Trenfield first saw it. The lower level, where the two bedrooms are located, was dark and featureless, and the upper level was lacking in charm. Trenfield, who specializes in what he calls "adding new layers to revered housing types," devised a simple, craft-led scheme to create a modern look for the flat. Did we mention it's for sale via The Modern House?

Photography via The Modern House.

Above: The exterior of the Victorian row house.

Above: The upper floor is open plan and has a sitting area at the front, a dining space in the middle, and a kitchen at the rear.

Above: A ribbon of plywood wraps around the entire upper level uniting the space visually.

Above: A view of the kitchen.

Above: The plywood stairwell is detailed with a design of dots and crosses, referencing the decorative motifs of William Morris (a museum dedicated to his work is nearby).

Above: A small dining area.

Above: The stairway leads to two lower-level bedrooms.

Above: A modest master bedroom.

Above: The shower room has vinyl flooring from Swedish company Bolon and Villeroy & Boch fittings.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/london-small-apartment-remodel-by-carl-trenfieldThu, 05 Feb 2015 02:00:00 -0800Julie CarlsonIt was the first time I've ever been jealous of doll furniture.

My introduction to artisan and blogger Alessandra Taccia came when I purchased several hand-stitched linen cushions, a luxurious knit cashmere throw, pom-pom slippers, and a hand-crocheted pouf, all miniaturized for my daughter's toy mouse. Since then I have been an avid follower of Alessandra via La Casita, her blog in which she chronicles her home and creations. (N.B. Alessandra's latest projects can now be found on her websitealessandra-taccia.com.)

Much like her mouse accessories, Alessandra's blog hones in on the little things in life, celebrating quiet moments—a pile of newly washed tea towels or the perfect cup of grapefruit juice. Relaxed and welcoming, her world is not trendy but organic and full of soul. It's populated by storied pieces and personal objects, often crafted by Alessandra herself, that reflect her belief that a home should be a "work in progress, made slowly."

Above: Born of an Italian father and Argentinian mother, Alessandra grew up by the sea coast of Cinque Terre and studied painting. Today, she makes her home with her husband and daughter outside of Cambridge, England.

Above: In our correspondence Alessandra informed me that in Italian "taccia," her last name, is the imperative third person of the verb tacere: to be silent. I found that fitting, because Alessandra's house is a bit of an oasis, a place for quiet conversation.

Above: Alessandra prefers natural materials—linen, wool, ceramics, and wood—like these simple, utilitarian objects in her kitchen. Her online shop, Alessandra Taccia, is an extension of her home and blog, offering an on-and-off-again array of one of a kind, handmade, and vintage goods.

Above: Being "often on the move"—the family lived in London before they relocated to their current rental—Alessandra edited down all of their possessions "to only what is really needed, either because it's useful or because it holds a memory we're fond of. For this reason I try to buy handmade things that are respectful of the environment, that are beautifully made, and designed to be passed on to the next generation." Over the dining table, a flock mobile by Bookhou is an example of the accents that speak to Alessandra.

Above: Alessandra's mother was an accomplished seamstress and knitter who passed on these skills to her daughter. One of Alessandra's specialities is making these patchwork hot pads. Other small-production items pictured here include ceramics from Analogue Life and a small wood plate by Caroline Gomez.

Above: On the table, a mitt crocheted by Alessandra and a wooden trivet made by fellow blogger Xenia of Eau de Nil complement a perfect cup of tea.

Above: Alessandra's so-so sofa was a victim of one of her recent edits. She replaced it with a floor cushion that she covered in heavy linen, and an assortment of pillows. Adding a diminutive table by Spielplatz, a low-hung midcentury pendant lamp, and one of her own crocheted throws hung on a Nakagawa hanger ($38.50 from Hubu Textiles), Alessandra created a space that's both minimal and intimate.

Above: Alessandra displays ceramics by her daughter on a living room shelf alongside a wire crown they made together.

Above: A mood board in Alessandra's office includes natural specimens and favorite prints.

3. Radiant heat flooring

Can anyone resist the sensation of walking barefoot on a heated floor? If you’re just embarking on a renovation or building a new house, consider installing radiant heating (also known as underfloor heating), an energy-efficient way to keep warm throughout the cold months. "As an architect who has supervised and survived many remodels, I have experienced radiant floor heating in other people's houses and covet it in my own," writes our own resident architect, Christine.

5. A fireplace or woodstove

A fireplace can have enormous impact as an architectural detail, and a wood stove is a significant and efficient heat source, point out Seattle architects Malbouef Bowie. "You can have a really simple interior," architect Tiffany Bowie says, "and if you add a focal point, it really grabs people’s attention and interest."

6. Pullout shelving in kitchen cabinets

For storing appliances and pantry items, architect Sheila Narusawa suggests installing pullout shelves. They bring all of the hidden items at the back into the light, making them easy to reach—and easy to put away.

10. Acoustic insulation for bathrooms

As charming as open-plan loft spaces are, it's not always charming to use the bathroom in one. Ditto for Victorians or anywhere that sound carries, such as a powder room next to a dining room.

According to architects Specht Harpman of Austin, Texas, the job of an architect is to consider things like "solar position at different times of day, reflectivity of materials, acoustics, and many other items owners might not be thinking about." We're all for that, and think that acoustic insulation, especially in the overhaul of an old space, is a smart move.

11. Dimmers on the light switches

Sheila Narusawa suggests adding dimmers to all light switches. And you needn't wait to install new lights—introducing dimmers can be a simple home improvement project that combats harsh overhead lighting.

12. Self-closing cabinet drawers

Brooklyn architects Made LLC always install self-closing cabinet drawers. Kitchens and baths look their tidiest when drawers are closed; if you live with a messy crew, spring for cabinets that close themselves.

13. An electronics charging station

Bay Area architect Jennifer Weiss is proactive about suggesting details that clients don't think to ask for, such as charging stations for laptops and cell phones. Virtually everyone building or remodeling a house has tech gadgets to charge and corral, and having built-in solutions adds ease and order.

Shown here, an electronics charging station incorporated into a Henrybuilt closet system.

14. Interior shutters

Averse to curtains or shades? Old-fashioned wooden shutters are a great alternative, says San Francisco designer Kriste Michelini. We like the way they filter light in unexpected ways.

15. A designated area for your pets' things

Another tip from Made LLC: "Factor your pets and the way they live into your design plans." If you don't want a cat scratcher in the middle of your hallway or a dog bed on your living room floor, take the time to think this through during your remodel.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on February 5, 2014, as part of our Small Space Living issue.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/remodeling-101-luxuries-worth-adding-to-your-remodeling-projectThu, 29 Jan 2015 06:00:00 -0800Meredith SwinehartBelgian master architect and designer Vincent Van Duysen is better known for his bespoke interiors than for his playrooms. But his low-key approach to rarefied living works for all ages. When two new fathers asked him adapt their grand 1920s villa outside Antwerp for life with their young twin boys, he and his team stepped up to the task. The results, installation art and marching-soldier wallpaper included, just might be the world's most glamorous family clubhouse.

Above: One of the villa's best features is its pool and pool house with a gym, steam room, and sauna in the back, all of which are connected to the main house by an underground corridor.

Above: The family at play. The owners—a businessman and photographer—moved into the three-story brick house when they were in their twenties after it had been remodeled by Bernard Coens and Jean de Meulder (their contributions included the pool house). Van Duysen, who once worked with De Meulder, had become friends with the couple and understood how to strike the new balance they envisioned between high-style design and everyday ease.

Explains Van Duysen interior architect Rufus Knight: "The owners wanted a more contemporary and spacious feel. It was essential that the refurbishment feel sophisticated but also have an informality and a focus on spaces for family life and entertaining." Photograph by Matthieu Salvaing.

Above: The kitchen is a showcase of custom Vincent Van Duysen cabinetry in oak. The island, sink, and counters are polished Egyptian limestone. The black child seats are Stokke's Tripp Trapp chairs. The space encapsulates what the New York Times described as Van Duysen's "rigorous, spare design that retains a sense of life." Photograph by Matthieu Salvaing.

Above: Booth seating along the windows—one of the owners' initial requests—is paired with chairs by Christian Liaigre. Photograph by Stijn Rolies.

Above: The living room overlooks a terrace and manicured garden. Formerly Art Deco, the opened-up space is furnished with wood-framed armchairs by Christian Liaigre and an Axel Vervoordt linen sofa and armchair next to the newly inserted fireplace. The standing reading light is the diminutive but powerful Lumina Daphine Terra. The rustic yet refined oak end table is a sign that Van Duysen was here. Photograph by Matthieu Salvaing.

Above: The wide floorboards, another Van Duysen signature, are bleached French oak with an oiled finish. The entry hall, shown here, offers a glimpse of the glass partition that acts, says Rufus Knight, "as an antechamber, a calm welcoming into the house." The group of urns are an Allan McCollum installation. Photograph by Stijn Rolies.

Above: Van Duysen worked with the existing floor plan but reorganized it, devoting the second floor to the parents' quarters. Here, a linen-curtained glass-and-steel partition divides the master bedroom from the home office, providing a sense of openness as well as privacy. Photograph by Stijn Rolies.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/vincent-van-duysen-designs-a-family-house-in-antwerpThu, 29 Jan 2015 02:00:00 -0800Margot GuralnickMelbourne designer David Flack turned 30 a few months ago and promptly launched Flack Studio, a two-person office: He's the creative talent and his sister oversees operations. They're now juggling 12 residential and retail projects in Melbourne and Sydney, including this suave remodel: Phase One (living area, bedrooms, and baths) newly complete just in time for the arrival of the owners' first child. Phase Two (kitchen and family room overhaul) on the docket.

The young couple, who work in finance and law (and "happen to have exceptional taste," says Flack) bought a Victorian terrace house that had been stripped of all its period details sometime in the nineties. "I would never have denuded such an ornate terrace," Flack tells us, "but instead of reinstating these features, I introduced a contemporary materials palette—gray with flashes of black and brass. The look is simple, cohesive, and masculine: It's subtle yet has a toughness to it."

Above: "If walls could talk, the rooms of this Victorian terrace would tell a story or two about the house's incarnations over its lifetime," says Flack. "The new scheme's backdrop is subtle: Soft taupe and white are complemented by natural, textural materials—including a gray-blond European oak floor—and punctuated with flashes of brass and black steel."

The owners came to the project with a few choice pieces of furniture in search of a good setting, including the living room's Poliform sofa, which Flack paired with a Poliform coffee table and Cappellini's faux marble fiberglass Bong Coffee Table. The pleated floor-to-ceiling curtains are Belgian linen from Elliott Clarke. (Scroll down to see Before views of the space.)

Above: British architect Michael Anastassiades Tube Chandelier of satin brass anchors the room—"it audaciously occupies the corner usually belonging to a standard lamp," Flack says. The brass side table is Cappellini's Gong Lux and the fireplace was already in the room.

Above: Flack's favorite chair in the house is this striped re-edition of a 1934 Gio Ponti design for Rubelli: "classic and masculine with brass legs that echo the lines of the pendant light." The new pale floorboards, he points out, "ensure maximized light." The walls are painted in Linen from New Zealand paint company Resene.

Above: A Poliform sideboard, another of the clients' original pieces, displays a vintage "Murano glass, Memphis-style lamp" along with a concrete pipe and other geometric forms.

Above: The stairs are custom stained to match the floorboards and carpeted with a bamboo-and-silk runner by Melbourne custom rug maker Bibi Vero.

Above: The master bedroom came with its gray carpet and angular walls, which are painted the same taupe as the living room and dining room. The Charcoal Linen Duvet Cover and Linen Pillowslips are from In Bed of New South Wales, Australia. (For linen bedding in the US, consider Rough Linen.) The light is the Oluce Coupé, a sixties classic by Joe Columbo.

Above: The white subway tiles are set off by dark gray grout. The anodized aluminum shower shelf is from Agape's Sen Accessories line.

Above: The owners' child was born just weeks after Phase One of the remodel was complete. The nursery is painted in Resene's "half-strength Linen" and has a Fiorenza Armchair by Franco Albini from Poliform. Note that all of the house's curtains hang from black steel rails. The ceiling light is Anna Charlesworth's Four Shapes Pendant, "a playful take on a hanging mobile," says Flack.

Above: The nursery's wall of custom cabinetry is made of American oak veneer with a painted finish. "It's a recessive piece," Flack says, "but has a subtle texture with the oak grain showing through." The sliding white ladder is for accessing the top shelves (but may have to be put in storage when the baby enters the climbing stage).

Above: A glimpse of the master bedroom's en suite bath: "I wanted the bathrooms to be similar," says Flack. "I only used a handful of materials throughout the house. I think that's the most powerful part of its reincarnation: the rooms fit together as one."

Above: A Duravit sink is set in a counter of honed Bedonia sandstone topped with with a custom mirror and lights trimmed with brass.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/melbourne-remodel-by-david-flack-of-flack-studio-in-australiaWed, 28 Jan 2015 04:00:00 -0800Margot GuralnickThe Scenario: A young family of three—Allison Freedman Weisberg, executive director of Recess, a nonprofit experimental art space, and Peter Barker-Huelster, a legal services attorney—buy a dilapidated house in Brooklyn's Fort Greene and summon Elizabeth Roberts Design/Ensemble Architecture to take on a gut renovation.

The Challenge: As avid cooks, Allison and Peter knew that they wanted to spend most of their family time in the kitchen/dining room situated on the ground level, but the existing ceilings were low and the spaces dark. "My main criterion when searching for a new home was light," says Allison. "When Peter and I first walked through the crumbling wreck that would become our house, it was a perfect, sunny, early spring day. The backyard was filled with afternoon light, but the gloomy garden level was nearly a deal breaker for me. Elizabeth found a solution that would let the light in while leaving the history and structure of the townhouse intact."

The Solution: Built in 1852 as a single-family house, the structure had suffered so many years of neglect that its roof and back wall were on the verge of collapsing. Since a replacement wall was required, Roberts took the opportunity to create a problem-solving two-story addition. The resulting double-height (and on the second floor, double-layered) wall of windows includes an indoor/outdoor dining room with the open feel of a greenhouse and a light-filled parlor above.

Top Tips from Elizabeth Roberts

Turn problems into opportunities. Having to replace the back wall meant that we could rethink the relationship of the garden to the house while bringing in more light.

Model an addition in 3-D, so that you can really understand the important issues. We spent a good amount of time studying ways to draw light into the back of the building and ultimately came up with the dining room as greenhouse idea.

Consult specialists: We worked with landscape architect Kim Hoyt to introduce plantings that blur the lines between indoors and out.

Above: "We opened up the back of the house with a very large, two-story window and door unit—approximately 15 feet wide and 17 feet high," says Roberts. "Light carries through the interiors to the living room on the second floor." The perimeter plantings in the dining room are fully plumbed for drainage and are on an automatic drip sprinkler system. Eventually, vines will be visible on the parlor level in as they climb the two-story interior walls, bringing greenery into the heights and depths of the house.

Above: On the ground floor, the entire window slides open to create a double-wide opening to the garden. "Kim Hoyt turned the garden into a beautiful outdoor room," says Roberts.

Above: A black limestone floor with white marble accents extends from the kitchen through the dining room addition and out into the garden.

Above: Concrete countertops, more commonly associated with modern minimalist kitchens, contrast well with the Shaker-style kitchen cabinets by Wood Mode (they're painted Newport Green by Benjamin Moore). The gas range is by Bluestar.

Above: In the less-trafficked pantry area, Roberts specified a cherry butcher block for the counter.

Above: "We installed a custom grill from Grillworks in the kitchen fireplace," Roberts says. "It's pretty amazing to be able to cook over a wood fire in the winter with natural light and greenery visible out of the corner of your eye." The niche underneath the kitchen fireplace is for storing wood.

Above: The hall has a reclaimed herringbone-patterned wood floor in a custom finish from LV Wood, and the stairs are painted Off Black by Farrow & Ball.

Above: The front of the house has a more traditional look. Shown here, a library with sliding pocket doors that enable the room to be closed off or opened up to the rest of the second floor. The linen-covered chaise is from Liza Sherman Antiques; the rug is an antique Lavar Kerman carpet from Iran. The walls are painted Pavilion Gray by Farrow & Ball.

Above: The light and greenery in the back garden are visible from the library at the front of the house.

Above: A look at the double fenestration. The windows in the extension are custom powder-coated steel from Optimum Window in Ellenville, NY. "They worked with us to motorize the upper part of the dining room windows so that they could easily be opened up for passive cooling," says Roberts.

Above: Blue and white textiles in the master bedroom offer a clean and crisp aesthetic. The bedspread is from Coyuchi.

Above: A new walk-in wardrobe was inserted between the master bedroom and bath.

Above: The sink, toilet, and shower are in a separate room from the bathtub.

Above: The shower room is tiled with Hexagon Mosaic Tiles from Waterworks on the floor and inexpensive white subway tiles on the walls. "The idea was to keep it pretty simple and unfussy," says Roberts. The sink is from Waterworks.

Above: Additional storage was almost invisibly built into the room. The Aegean Free Standing Bath is from Albion Bath Co. in the UK.

Above: In the baby's room on the third floor, Roberts incorporated open storage for toys and books. The floor is reclaimed oak and the crib is from Kalon Studios. The vintage dresser came from Olde Good Things.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/architect-visit-villa-v-by-raboni-architettiWed, 21 Jan 2015 06:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayBack in 2006, a San Francisco–based Italian-American couple set out to find an Italian retreat near her native city of Bari. After an exhaustive search, and the failed purchase of a modest home, they chanced upon one of the area's many decaying masseria, fortified farmhouses that dot the Puglia region. Despite the compound's "horrible state of repair," the couple fell under the spell of Villa Pizzorusso's Romanesque architecture and Arabic detailing and never looked back. Reviving the centuries-old structure with the help of local architect Cosimo "Mino" D'Astore took three years. Now fully restored—and furnished with style and restraint—it's available for rent by the week, six bedrooms, swimming pool, and orange grove included.

Above: The central courtyard of the villa is entered via a grand archway. When it was built in the 16th century, farmers and livestock would file through the portal each evening, seeking protection from marauding Turks and other invaders. Photograph via Designtripper.

Above: Under the vaulted ceiling of the masseria's former stables, the salone provides a communal gathering, cooking, and eating area with an open kitchen and seating for 16.

Above: The owners designed the interiors ofVilla Pizzorusso themselves. Avid foragers, they gathered furnishings from all over via Suvito.it, Italy's equivalent of Craigslist. The result is an eclectic mix of custom built-ins (by Mino), local antiques, and contemporary finds that pay homage to the building's past and present. In the salone, the generous dining table is made from Balinese teak that the owners' son found for them; Mino designed the base. The chairs are Spanish and came from the same local design shop as the B&B Italia sofa.

Above: The antique regional pottery on display, including a Puglia piece that the owners came across in a vintage shop in Hawaii. Photograph viaDesigntripper.

Above: Old meets new(er): In the courtyard, the original Romanesque fortification from the 1500s abuts the "piano nobile" (noble's quarters), built in the 1700s.

Above: While the owners strove to keep the renovations as authentic as possible, they did make a few concessions for modern comforts, such as an updated kitchen and baths, as well as the night-lit pool.

Above: Villa Pizzorusso sleeps up to 14 people in six bedrooms. Weekly rentals start at $5,600 during the low season: January to mid-March and October 24 to December 12. For full details and reservations, go to Villa Pizzorusso, and e-mail info@villapizzorusso.com for availability.

Dreaming of a trip to Italy? Here are a few more luxury accommodations to tempt you:

De Cotiis is an interior architect who got his start designing clothing boutiques. His credits include an impressive list of collaborations—with fashion designer Alberta Ferretti and kitchen manufacturer Rossana, among others. His firm, Progetto Domestico, now specializes in residential designs and highest-end furniture and backdrops: "This may sound a bit undemocratic," he told T, "but I don't like designing mass-produced pieces."

What De Cotiis does like is recasting old materials, creating bespoke pieces from worn furniture and fiberglass that he hunts down in shipyards. His obsession with patina led to his design of a patinated brass kitchen for a Milan apartment by Dimore Studio—which promptly landed on the cover of World of Interiors and in our story Ancient Meets Modern in a Milan Apartment.

He planted an equally dramatic kitchen in this remodeled 18th-century house in Salò, in northern Italy, a showcase of the De Cotiis look.

Above: De Cotiis has said that his starting point on any project is "what I find." In this case, he found soaring and intricately detailed ceilings.

Above: A patinated bronze kitchen akin to De Cotiis's DC10 design for Rossana. Though the metallic kitchen is becoming a De Cotiis signature, he prefers not to repeat designs: His M.O. is to create entirely custom work for each space so that it has its own "strong identity."

Above: The bedroom wall is covered with torn gauze encased in glass.

Having started in the fashion world, De Cotiis has an affinity for edgy textiles. Several years ago, he produced a fashion collection called Haute that included torn and washed silk, cashmere, and lace; sometimes he dissolved fabrics in acid and used only what was remaining.

Above: In a bathroom, De Cotiis pairs a stone trough sink and antique rustic cabinetry with Baroque mirrors.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/vincenzo-de-cotiis-progetto-domestico-in-salo-italyMon, 19 Jan 2015 02:00:00 -0800Meredith SwinehartIsabel and George Blunden are now happily ensconced with their three-month-old daughter in their fully remodeled Victorian railway cottage in southwest London. On Monday, in Rehab Diary, Part 1, Isabel showed us the Before shots and detailed the couple's plans. On Tuesday, in Rehab Diary, Part 2, she chronicled the construction process, and yesterday, in Rehab Diary, Part 3, she unveiled the finished results. In our final installment, she shares her top 10 takeaway tips.

1. Hire an architect or interior designer.

We didn't, but, in hindsight, we should have. Working with a professional, even if only on an hourly basis, would have been more efficient and helpful on so many fronts, from space planning to figuring out the best places to locate outlets and switches. There's the impression that calling in a pro is always expensive, but I now realize that having someone's wisdom and guidance could have actually saved us money—and certainly would have reduced stress.

2. Look to your heritage.

Our inspiration for our furnishings came not only from what we had seen in magazines and online but also from what we knew. Incorporating styles and actual pieces from our childhood has made our rooms feel personal and instantly like home.

Above: My mother made the cushions on our sofa from offcuts of her own curtain fabric.

3. Spend here, save there.

Prioritize the luxuries that you don't want to give up on, and work your budget around them. In the kitchen we splurged on a Perrin & Rowe gold tap and marble countertop but went with affordable cupboards. We also had to forgo the dream of steel-framed factory doors and went with aluminum instead.

Above: Our two luxuries, the tap and the countertop, do much to heighten our enjoyment of daily chores, not to mention the overall look of our kitchen.

4. Be open-minded along the way.

Sometimes plans don’t turn out as expected, which isn’t always a bad thing. For instance, we had decided to paint our walls throughout a Farrow & Ball soft gray. But then we liked the brightness of the Dulux Primer so much that we left it as is—and spared ourselves the extra work. Of course, some changes can be expensive and time-consuming, so be aware of cost and schedule implications.

Above: The guest room is just wide enough for a double bed, but it feels light and airy thanks to the brightness of the Dulux Primer.

5. Don't postpone parts of the remodel.

As time-consuming and expensive as some of your plans may be, it’s better to get them done while your house is under construction than it is to wait. For budget reasons, we chose to redo our upstairs bathroom at a later date, a decision I now regret. The thought of calling the builders back in, with the accompanying upheaval and mess, means that this bathroom will probably not get redone. Remember, once the builders are gone, they are gone.

Above: With the debris removed, our bathroom is OK as is.

6. Small details can have a great impact.

Things like hardware add personality and can really color a space.

Above: We jazzed up the blank kitchen with flashes of gold, courtesy of a few £3.50 ($5) cup-pull handles purchased on sale at Graham & Green.

Above: The new carpentry in the sitting room is dressed up with blue-and-white French porcelain cupboard handles from my mother's house.

Above: We used the same porcelain knobs on our cupboard doors upstairs.

7. Beg, borrow, and steal furniture—especially from family members.

As detailed in my last post, our furnishings include shelving that had once been in George's grandfather’s garage, a lamp from my uncle's house, and a chest of drawers discovered in a storage room. When various relatives moved house, we struck gold.

Above: The curtain across our new back door came from George's parents' old sitting room. Miraculously, it fit perfectly.

Above: The newly repainted pine chest under the stairs was in George's childhood bedroom.

8. Embrace DIY.

Though we're first-time remodelers, we learned along the way that there's a good deal of work we can tackle ourselves— and if we can, you can.

Above: We painted the cupboard doors and staircase ourselves over the course of a weekend or two.

Above: George cleared the garden, put in new plants, and resurfaced the brick and concrete pavers.

9. The character of your house comes from you, your things, and your stories.

By installing white walls and neutral flooring, we created a blank canvas, so that anything textured or patterned or colored stands out and bears our imprint.

Above: When the 2004 tsunami hit, George was one of the first to volunteer his services and flew to Sri Lanka to work in the Galle and Tangalle areas, where I joined him a month later. We brought home this cushion made by craftsmen of the area as a reminder of all the things we have to be thankful for.

Above: This framed poster of Amy Winehouse's famous lyrics was a present from George. I like the way it picks up the colors of our book spines.

10. There will always be too many good ideas.

Editing is a must. There's never the space or budget to do it all; some ideas you'll have to save for next time.

Above: We were lucky to find space in the kitchen for a washing machine and dryer, but I still dream of a utility room.

For more remodeling tips, have a look at our Remodeling 101 series, including:

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/rehab-diary-part-4-a-small-house-overhaul-in-london-top-10-takeaway-tipsThu, 15 Jan 2015 08:00:00 -0800Isabel BlundenNewlyweds Isabel and George Blunden—she's a travel editor, he's in media—recently overhauled a 1,100-square-foot Victorian railway cottage in southwest London, and moved in with their baby. On Monday, in Rehab Diary, Part 1, Isabel showed us the Before shots and detailed their plans. Yesterday, in Rehab Diary, Part 2, she chronicled the construction process (including discovering midway into the build that they were expecting their first child). Today, we get to see the results of their hard work.

Ground Floor

Finishing the building work was by no means the end of the project. We moved back into the house with chipboard on the floors, a mud pit instead of a garden, no curtains on the front windows, and no blinds in any of the bedrooms. The process that came next—the final 10 percent, the finishing off, the decorating—was, surprisingly, the hardest slog. This part should have been the most pleasurable but because we had run out of money and time became the most challenging.

We were sensationally naive when it came to lead times for ordering items, and spent weeks living in the house with no kitchen tap and no window coverings. We budgeted hard, but clung to tangible things that would make a difference to the look and feel of the place, such as dimmer switches on the lights, soft-closing mechanisms on the kitchen cabinets, and solid wood flooring.

Above: Our new open, light-filled kitchen is a space to share with our family and friends. We were originally going to paint the walls a Farrow & Ball color, but we liked the crispness of the Dulux Primer so much that we left it as is. A pair of wall-mounted Cheyne Wall Lights from Garden Trading are distinctly unkitchen-y. The cupboards are from the Burford Family at Howdens Joinery (a trade company, so your builder will have to buy them for you).

Above: Our countertop radio is a classic Roberts Radio and was a wedding present from great friends. We like it because it has a retro look, but is actually a digital radio with high-quality sound. And we can plug in our iPhone and use the radio as speakers as well.

Above: We jazzed up the blank kitchen with flashes of bronze courtesy of £3.50 ($5) cup-pull handles purchased on sale at Graham and Green. We used them sparingly but to great effect.

Above: Without any over-counter cupboards, we didn't install downlights. Instead, we used Ruby Lamps, little table lamps from John Lewis that were the smallest and slimmest ones I could find. We have very little countertop space, and I didn't want the lamps to encroach any further.

Above: Without a utility room in which to hide the boiler and washer/dryer, we had to steal space from the kitchen. The wide, deep drawers that I had envisioned were simply not going to fit. The boiler was relegated to the garden, and the washer/dryer hidden behind a wall of cabinets. My wished-for Victorian laundry rack got postponed to the next house.

Above: We begged, borrowed, and stole family furniture: shelving that had once been in my husband’s grandfather’s garage; a lamp from my uncle; a chest of drawers that had hidden in a storage room in George's parents' house for years, discovered only when they moved; and a curtain from their old sitting room that miraculously fit perfectly across our new back door.

Above: Our birthday presents to each other were plants, soil, and pots, anything for our sparse little patch outside. We bought laurels and clematis and hydrangeas at the end of the season, once they had already flowered and been placed on the sale rail. The bay trees on either side of the lattice were a housewarming present from my mother. We had planned to use the willow trellis to grow something up, but it looks rather nice on its own so we are leaving it as is.

Above: With our budget contraints and decorating challenges, we turned to our families. Part of our vision for our new home was getting inspiration from not onlywhat we had seen in magazines and online but also what we knew. Both of us were keen to incorporate the styles of our childhood homes, and we loved the idea of taking familiar elements from the houses we grew up in. My mother made us cushions using offcuts of her own curtain fabric. The sofa is the Blubell 2 Seater from Sofa.com, upholstered in their herringbone linen.

Above: I chose to study English Literature at Edinburgh University because I am a bit of a bookworm and could think of nothing nicer than spending four years with my nose in novels. I arrange my books by color because I think it looks neater, but it does mean that when I'm looking for something specific, I have to remember whether the spine was green or white or blue or black….

Above: Our one big splash out was the wood-burning stove, a Salisbury 6kw, Multi-Fuel Stove from Chesney's. We decided to install it during the build, when the house was still a dusty mess and before the plastering and painting were finished. It was one of the largest financial investments, but it is our favorite item in the house and creates a fantastic focal point for that part of the living space. It also warms the whole place to toasty levels on chilly evenings. The Amy Winehouse Silkscreen Print was a present from George that he found at the Soma Gallery in Bristol.

Above: We put built-in storage wherever we could. It helps us control the clutter and makes the space appear uniformly open. Our wood floor is Oak Distressed Old White, an engineered wood from the Natural Wood Floor Company.

Above:Before we even made an offer on the house, I had said that the doorknobs and other hardware would be the first things to go. We used blue-and-white French porcelain cupboard handles from my mother's house on the new carpentry in the sitting room.

Above: We moved the downstairs loo to the space underneath the stairs.

Above: One of our various projects was painting an old pine chest from George's childhood bedroom in Borrowed Light, a very pale blue-gray from Farrow & Ball.

The Second Floor

And when the money ran out, we turned our hands to DIY. We painted old pine furniture that family had handed down to us. A dresser was smartened up with a lick of Farrow & Ball and a glass top. Bedside tables were vastly improved by a few coats of white. Our tatty garden walls brightened up with white paint, and our flowerbeds cheered to be full of plants, herbs, and climbers.

There are, of course, things we might have done differently. The plug socket sunk into the floor for a lamp on a side table in front of the log burner is now just a trip hazard and something that will have to be dealt with before the baby starts playing there. The radiators in the bedrooms have been set too high, so we can’t put off-the-shelf covers on them. They are also, in fact, in the wrong positions. We didn’t get around to redoing the upstairs bathroom; it fell off our order of priorities, but now that everything else has finally been done, it has shot right back up to the top of my to-do list.

Above: We chose carpets for upstairs as a quick fix. I was initially keen on a natural material, such as seagrass or sisal, but was advised that neither is practical with a baby on the way and inevitable spillages. We then considered wood but were worried about the noise. We went to the nearest carpet shop and couldn't pick one neutral from the next, so I asked the owner what the most popular and reasonable wool carpet was and we went with that. I had reached the point where I couldn't make any more decisions.

Above: The upholstered headboard in our bedroom is from Feather and Black and is in a woven cotton in a color called Pebble.

Above: The house had absolutely no fitted cupboards when we moved in, so one of the first jobs was to get a carpenter to create as much storage as possible. In the master bedroom, the new Shaker-style cupboards run the entire length and height of the wall.

Above: The bedroom wardrobes, as well as the bookcases and shelving in the sitting room, now have pretty French handles that are from my mother's house. The plain white porcelain knobs on the doors come from my husband's childhood home.

Above: Our guest room is simple but luxurious.

Above: The guest room's wall-mounted Ranarp Lamps came from Ikea and have drawn more inquiries than items that are 10 times more expensive.

Above: My mother-in-law gave me this vintage copy of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management. It's a wonderful book to have in the house, but I haven't gotten round to making any of the recipes, such as stewed eel, just yet.

Stay tuned: Tomorrow we'll be posting Isabel and George's Top 10 Takeaways from their renovation.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/rehab-diary-part-3-a-tiny-house-overhaul-in-londonWed, 14 Jan 2015 02:00:00 -0800Isabel BlundenNewlyweds Isabel and George Blunden—she's a travel editor, he's in media—recently sunk their savings into an 1,100-square-foot Victorian railway cottage in southwest London. Yesterday, in Rehab Diary, Part 1, Isabel took us on a tour of the place and detailed their plans. Today, she chronicles the highs and lows of the construction process—and their big surprise along the way.

The Ground Floor

We were overflowing with excitement as the project got under way. In a matter of days, everything had been ripped out, walls had been smashed to rubble, and windows and doors replaced by big gaping openings. At this rate, we thought, the build would be finished in no time. Our optimism was soon brought to a crashing halt by the very wise words of a friend. “Please don’t get your hopes up too much,” she said. “Remember that it takes minutes to knock things down, and then it takes months to build them back up again.” How right she was.

Above: At the back of the house where the kitchen is, we got our first glimpse of the amount of light that we were letting in. It was exhilarating. The garden became a place where we might spend time with our child, rather than just a spot to have an alfresco drink after work.

This was a big job, involving digging foundations, inserting steel joists, and taking down the back wall of the house and rebuilding it brick by brick (we were incredibly lucky to be able to reuse the lovely London stock), all while upsetting our neighbors on a daily basis with the relentless noise and mess. Structurally the design of the exterior had already been approved by the planning department. That part was rather a relief as it was determined. Nothing we were doing on the exterior was especially avant-garde or boundary pushing. The creativity had to come on the inside.

Above: Peeling back the layers in the kitchen.

The kitchen installation was the most stressful. It was a brutal lesson in budgeting and compromise. The idea was for the kitchen to look as un-kitcheny as possible, for the units to be tucked right round the corner and the appliances to be completely integrated, so that from the sitting room you could see little of the workings. We were also adamant that we didn’t want over-counter cupboards for fear they would crowd the room and make it feel too functional. This left us with very little cupboard space and a need to massively edit down our pots and pans, plates and mugs, and all those pieces of kit that you never use. There was definitely the sense that we were going for style over substance, but we were sticking with it. Then, midway into the construction, I found out that we were expecting our first child, so we were suddenly designing the place for three.

Above: Our open-plan approach felt even more fundamental with a baby in mind—to create a sense of space in our tight quarters and for us to be able keep an eye on things.

Above: The reshuffling of the downstairs loo to under the stairs was crucial (to avoid having to traipse up and down to the bathroom).

Most of the imperative and immovable decisions—the positioning of all wiring, the radiators, etc.—needed to be confirmed instantly when the electrician and the plumber joined the build. This was daunting because we were going it alone, without an architect or interior designer, so all eyes were on us. Now pregnant, I found myself completely incapable of choosing what to have for supper, let alone where to put the plug sockets and what height we wanted the electrical wires. How could we possibly know whether chrome wall lights would look dated in a few years time? Were pendants going to be annoying if we later moved the kitchen table? Did we want the front door light to come on by sensor or by switch? How about a five-amp circuit?

Above: Certain decisions, such as where to locate power sockets and other electricals, were especially stressful without an architect or interior designer to guide us.

I thought of my mother’s house, which is the most beautifully done up place I know (she is a master of fabric, colors, textures, and, above all, lighting.) She has always impressed on me the often-unappreciated importance of good lighting, that anywhere can be made to look lovely with proper lamps and soft lightbulbs. An associate in my office offered me her lighting designer’s number. But we couldn't spend money on things like that, so we had to thrash it out ourselves.

In the kitchen, we were willing to work with basic cabinets and inexpensive appliances, but had our hearts set on a marble countertop and a Perrin & Rowe tap. These were my luxuries. Other things I had my heart set on had to be forgotten. Without a utility room in which to hide the boiler, washer/dryer, and one of those lovely Victorian hanging laundry racks, everything had to be crammed into the kitchen. The wide and deep drawers that I had put all over my Pinterest boards were simply not going to fit. The boiler was relegated to the garden, the washing machines hidden behind a wall of cabinets, and the Victorian laundry rack postponed to the next house.

Above: Our first artwork: the downstairs plan for the crew to consult.

The Second Floor

We had always considered this a long-term project, shaping the house into a family home for at least the next five years, but there was now a sense of urgency and direction. The bedroom plans turned into nursery ideas.

Above: I had to look at how the spaces would work with a small baby, and then a crawling, walking, inquisitive toddler.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the big reveal: The result of our months of construction.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/rehab-diary-part-2-a-tiny-house-overhaul-in-london-the-constructionTue, 13 Jan 2015 06:00:00 -0800Isabel BlundenMeet Isabel and George Blunden and their 1,100-square-foot fixer-upper in London. She's a travel editor, he's in media, and for their first remodel, they decided to completely gut the interior of their tiny Victorian railway cottage, working with just a building team. For the next four days, Isabel will be chronicling their design journey. First up: The Before shots and the big plans.

The House, Before

When we bought our terraced house in southwest London, our first place together as a married couple, it was barely bigger than the flat that we had just sold. Financially, in the crazy London housing market, this was perhaps not the most savvy decision. But the idea of owning our very own little building, having tiny gardens in the front and back, plus a roof, four walls, and a front door that belonged to us and only us, was irresistible. We told ourselves: The key really was not how much space we had, but how well we could use it.

The terraced Victorian railway cottage had been a rental property for the past decade. Every cost- and corner-cutting renovation and bad decorating decision that could have been made had been made. There was pebble dash on the front facade (every other house on the street still has its lovely, original brickwork), rotting timber window surrounds and PVC casements in place of the original stone and wood, and an awkward L-shaped back extension that had to go. That was just the start. Aesthetically discouraging elements included flimsy doors, the sort of unlovely metal door handles you see in schools, cheap orange pine laminate floorboards, and an overload of spotlights absolutely everywhere—the sitting room ceiling looked like a Heathrow runway at night. The house was a bit sad and unloved. But we could see beyond all of that.

The Ground Floor

Above: The front door opens to a combination living room and dining room.

Above: It was absolutely standing room only in the kitchen—and if the dishwasher or oven were open, it awkwardly trapped you on one side or the other. We longed for a bright, sociable household hub filled with friends and family—and not a cheerless corner that the cook was banished to.

Above: Structurally, the galley kitchen was the main problem. Situated in the aforementioned extension that intruded into the tiny back garden, it was a dark, narrow space that was blocking natural light to the rest of the downstairs and impractical to use.

Above: The kitchen also took up the only sunny corner of our northwest-facing garden. It created a dead zone by the plastic sliding back door that was too small for a dining table but big enough to feel like a dreadful waste. Downstairs there was also a loo that was unnecessarily large and cut straight across the middle of the living space, and under the stairs was a big storage cupboard, fantastic for filling up with junk, but not a great use of that part of the house. We could see that we didn't have to extend the structure to give ourselves more room. With the benefit of hindsight, employing an architect at this point might have helped with storage issues and squeezing the most out of our new home. But we were full of energy and enthusiasm, and we wanted to do it ourselves.

Above: Plans mapping the existing conditions of the two-story house. On the first floor, note the way the kitchen juts out awkwardly in the L-shaped extension and the powder room interrupts the middle of the space.

Having come across plenty of similar properties during the course of our long house hunt, we had an idea of what could be achieved by shifting a few walls around, opening up rooms, and allowing light to flood through, all of which would give the place a better, more functional flow. It wasn’t a case of increasing square footage, we just had to repurpose the spaces. We plotted and planned the internal layout without an architect or designer. Our surveyor and our builder both chipped in with ideas and suggestions on what would and would not be possible.

Above: The proposed changes on both floors. In the kitchen, the plan was to knock down the old extension and flip the room 90 degrees—the point was to make the space feel bigger but preserve our precious sliver of outdoor space. On the second floor, fortunately, less fancy footwork was required.

The Second Floor

Despite the fact that there were no structural changes upstairs, we were still dreaming big, including a complete bathroom renovation. With three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, we had a fair amount of space but very little storage. For now though, we have scaled down our new bathroom ambitions until a later date. Here's a tour of what we were working with.

Above: What flooring to add? Fortunately, we didn't have to decide right away.

Above: Lacking closets, where to stow our clothes? We set our sights on fitted wardrobes.

Stay tuned: Tomorrow, I'll take you through our under-construction adventures.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/rehab-diary-part-1-a-tiny-house-overhaul-in-london-isabel-and-george-blundenMon, 12 Jan 2015 04:00:00 -0800Isabel BlundenAt our recent Remodelista Holiday Market in San Francisco, I was instantly drawn to French children's clothing line Les Petits Carreaux. The brand, founded by Stéphanie Ross and her Parisian friend and designer Alice Shamreiz, came about one sleepless night when Ross dreamed of a children’s line that reconciles style and comfort—clothing with French allure and a San Francisco spirit.

"As a mother of a six-year-old boy, I am especially interested in children’s lifestyle trends," Ross says. So last year, frustrated with the children's clothing options in the US, Ross and her business partner Shamreiz launched the first collection of Les Petits Carreaux.

Ross had worked as an artistic and communications director in women’s, men’s, and children’s fashion in Paris for 15 years, but after meeting her American husband and giving birth to their son, she and her family relocated to the Bay Area. Before their move, the couple began a yearlong overhaul of their Parisian apartment in the Eighth Arrondissement, near la Madeleine and Champs-Élysées.

"We originally lived in one of the smaller apartments on the fourth floor. In 2010, our neighbors across the hall fortuitously asked if we would be interested in exchanging apartments. They were looking to downsize and we had a growing family, so the swap was a win-win," Ross says. "We were particularly thrilled to take over a larger unit that needed lots of TLC but that had all of its historical features intact: ornate moulded ceilings, wainscoting, stained glass in the entry hall, pointe d'hongrie hardwood floors [parquet flooring in a chevron pattern], fireplaces in the salon [living room], dining room, and bedrooms—a true rarity these days, as many Parisian apartments were modernized in the latter part of the 20th century, mainly by stripping out these features and reconfiguring interior spaces."

Ross's goal was to maintain the flat's integrity by preserving the historical architectural features while accommodating a modern lifestyle by incorporating built-in closets in the bedrooms, installing a contemporary German-designed kitchen, enlarging and redesigning the bathroom with high-end Italian finishes, and creating a small home office.

Since moving to the US, the family tries to spend as much vacation time as possible in the flat, and when they are not in residence, they rent it out on a short-term, fully-furnished basis. Go to Homerental.fr to learn more.

Above: The living room features one of the four marble mantles. The parquet flooring in a chevron pattern was restored throughout the home and the moulding was returned to its original splendor. The cowhide rug comes from Design Within Reach, and the floor lamp is a Glo Ball designed by Jasper Morrison for Flos. The rattan chair and sheepskin throw were sourced via Bel Ordinaire.

Above: The 243 Volage Sofa and Armchair was designed by Philippe Starck for Cassina, and the original vintage 1960s Coffee Table is by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen. "Our living room ceiling is the only original left in the entire building; it was in bad condition so we needed to restore it," says Ross.

Above: A Paper Globe from Geo-grafia, a vintage wooden hand from Luka Luna, vintage glass vases, and a vintage lamp sit on top of a marbled mantel in the living room. The building is an excellent example of 1850s Haussmannien architecture (named after Georges-Eugène Haussmann, an interior city manager assigned by Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, to beautify Paris).

Above: French doors connect the living room and dining room. A Sapien Bookcase (sourced from DWR) holds a personal collection of design books bought in San Francisco. "I managed the interior design remodeling process and worked in collaboration with my friends at Bel Ordinaire for the decorative finishes and furnishings," Ross says.

Above: The dining room features Tulip Chairs by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, accompanied by a harvest dining table found in Saint-Germain-des-Prés (an area of the Sixth Arrondissement of Paris). A Vase d'Avril by Tse Tse sit on top of the dining table, and George Nelson's Bubble Lamp Saucer pendant hangs from the ceiling. "I wanted to have the George Nelson lamps in different shapes all over the apartment," says Ross.

Above: "The rocking chair in the corner is slip-covered in white fabric from Shabby Chic in San Francisco. I bought it when we had our son to rock him in his bedroom," Ross says. The black-shaded floor lamp is vintage from Bel Ordinaire.

Above: "As I didn't want anything on the wall, Bel Ordinaire designed a vertical fabric board that rests on the floor from a Christian Lacroix fabric," Ross says. The black wall lamp is handmade by a Parisian artist.

Above: Another marble mantel with vintage glass vases on display.

Above: "The kitchen was super old, so we decided to renovate it from scratch," Ross says. The contemporary kitchen comes from German company Poggenpohl. A built-in table is accompanied by striped stools designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Magis. Ceramic plates by Mud Australia from Bon Marché adorn a kitchen wall.

Above: "We wanted simple and chic curtains that allowed plenty of light into the flat," Ross says. The linen fabric is from Charvet Editions.

Above: The dresser was purchased from the Conran Shop in Paris. The chair is Polyprop, designed by Robin Day in 1963 for S. Hille & Co.

Above: The linen coverlet and pillows are from AM PM in France. The table lamp and side tables are vintage.

Above: This room was originally their son's bedroom, but when the family moved to San Francisco, they converted it to a guest bedroom. The black rug is from Zinc Details in San Francisco. The table lamp is vintage from Bel Ordinaire.

Above: The master bedroom has another preserved marble mantel (the vases on top are by Habitat). The mustard-colored bedcover and the pillow in the vintage chair are from Lab Boutique. The clothes hanging on a rack were designed by Ross herself.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/a-grand-but-understated-flat-in-parisThu, 08 Jan 2015 04:00:00 -0800Izabella SimmonsFor those of us who worship the home, the new year inspires us to reassess our living spaces (and in our case, to revisit the Remodelista Manifesto that we outline in Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home). This year we're taking inspiration from Lea Korzeczek and Matthias Hiller of Studio Oink, whose work is like a breath of fresh air (their motto is "Throw away everything you don't need in your daily life").

3. Clutter is the enemy. For a sense of well-being, edit out the extraneous.

Above: In the couple's entry hall, potted greens (oxygenating powers included) beneath the wooden bench and a sheepskin throw set a tone of mixed textures that carries through rest of the apartment. Clutter is kept at bay with a three-part storage system in the entry hall that maximizes the available height.

Above L: Form and function: A window seat is created by cabinets that have been built to the same height as the window sill. Above R: The cabinets provide built-in storage as well as a surface for display.

Above: Built-in cabinets—valuable for their storage capacity—continue around the room at a lower height to provide more open wall space for artwork and shelving.

4. Thoughtfully designed and produced goods made with sustainable materials are a far better investment than big-box bargains.

Above: Studio Oink sells a selection of one-of-a-kind new and vintage household accessories, including The Most Beautiful Oven Cloth in the World, made of 100 percent cotton with a leather strap; €12 ($14.32). "We love and respect old things, and we are trying to work in a sustainable and ecological way," they say.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/remodelista-manifesto-10-rules-for-home-happiness-in-the-new-yearMon, 05 Jan 2015 04:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayImagine cycling in the Flemish countryside and discovering an abandoned ruin of a once-grand house, 17th-century tower included. Most would probably muse about the possibilities, become frightened by the challenges, and then cycle away. Bram Seghers and Inge Buyse, however, are not most people. Founding partners of Buyse Seghers Architects, the couple bought the house to renovate and to live in with their two sons.

Known for their thoughtful design and sensitivity to light and proportion, the architects were careful to respect the architecture of the house, whose three-century span from the 17th to the 20th is visible in the layered marks of the exterior brickwork. “Even though the house had been continuously rebuilt, expanded, and altered, it was always thought of as one coherent structure, and we took the same approach," Seghers says. ”Our interventions do not have to be noticed; nor do we think that a strong contrast between the new and the old is always necessary.”

The architects created a modern, open feeling by bringing in more light through the house with new windows and additional interior openings. A multifunctional plan means that the house can function as one large home or two houses with separate entrances, providing ultimate flexibility for family living. “My parents currently occupy the second living unit, and my brother uses the upstairs studio when he joins us at Christmas and Easter. We open up the interconnecting, oversize doors, and it feels like one large, loftlike space, full of family and children.” A perfect fairy-tale ending.

Above: The architects discovered the picturesque property while cycling in the Flemish countryside in Lovendegem, a town on the outskirts of Ghent. The property consists of the main house (pictured above), a few outer buildings, and an English garden.

Above: In the entry hall, the bluestone floor tiles are arranged in a classic Belgian pattern.

Above: From the dining room, there's an uninterrupted view of the kitchen back to the entry wall, showing three different floor finishes, soaped solid oak, Rouge Belge marble, and bluestone tiles.

Above: In the kitchen the pale green of the cabinets complements the Rouge Belge marble countertops and floor. "We chose the wall colors to harmonize with the natural materials used in each room," Seghers says. "Rooms that have marble floors have a soft gray on the walls."

Above: "The red marble is Rouge Belge, chosen by the slab and selected for the combination of white veining that adds freshness," Seghers says.

Above: The spare decor in the dining room with pale green walls is offset by the crystal chandelier, which was a family hand-me-down. "It came from Inge’s aunt," Seghers says. "We know nothing about it, but thought it was a perfect match. The crystal pieces give off beautiful light."

Above: The architects chose the white cotton fabric for the curtains for its ability to drape into soft but distinct folds.

Above: Large interior openings throughout the house provide glimpses of other rooms; the living room, seen here from the dining room, allows large amounts of natural light to flow through.

Above: A dark green classic French bistro teacup with saucer and milk jug set from Limoges sits on a stone fireplace mantel with a powdered white finish that has been handcut to the architects' design.

Above: A view from the kitchen into the living room and dining room beyond. The large doors in the dining room open up to an adjacent office.

Above: In the office, the architects installed a small oval window, called an œil-de-bœuf, on the side of the house to allow more light in.

Above: Pale blue walls in the master bedroom complement the dark wood floorboards. "We always choose color on site, with painted wall samples in different tints," Seghers says. "We test the colors against the exterior light conditions throughout the day."

Above: A childhood desk lamp is repurposed into a bedside lamp.

Above: "Old floorboards that span the room were removed, restored, and reinstalled along with the original staircase," Seghers says. "We stained them a dark color and scrubbed them with a beeswax finish."

Above: Double doors lead to an expansive bathroom.

Above: The palette of the bathroom is off-white and neutral. The offset stacking pattern of the glazed porcelain tiles adds a simple but effective graphic note.

Above: Porcelain tiles line the walls of the shower.

Above: A portrait of the architects Bram Seghers and Inge Buyse as captured by photographer Frederik Vercruysse. The photos for this series were a result of a collaboration between the architects and Vercruysse titled "Portrait of House." "Seeing Frederik’s personal work, 'Table Composition,' we were quite taken by the care and attention to detail and proportion he seems to share with ours," Seghers says.

Above: In the back, the architects opened up the house to the garden and mirror pond by adding windows and carefully widening existing openings. The side elevations were opened up by adding porte-fenetres and an œil-de-bœuf placed into a rocaille stucco finish.

Above: A view through the back with the mirror pond frozen over. "The property itself is still in continuous evolution," Seghers says. "We are working on a design for a new outer building that will house our offices, still renovating the garden, and continually buying and designing pieces that will add to the interior over time."

Above: The entry level floor plan to Roode Port, the property's official name, illustrates how the house can be used as one large unit or separated into two smaller ones.

Above: Belgian design master Vincent Van Duysen likens the Belgian aesthetic to the "art of living"; read more about his design philosophy at 20 Questions: Julianne Moore and Vincent Van Duysen Talk Design. His protégé Nicolas Schuybroek (see below) says, "Working out a door handle for him is as important as designing a tower. The strength of an architect lies in the fact that he can deliver everything, from construction to interior."

A fashion graduate of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Koné launched her business in 2011, and has since become known for her pared-down, architectural approach to Italian-made leather goods, including a signature "bum bag" that has us reconsidering the fanny pack. She applies the same tantalizingly simple, well-orchestrated look to the Copenhagen apartment that she shares with her husband, an illustrator, and their three kids (the Legos, scooters, and skateboards were swept out of sight on the day of the shoot, she admits). Of her work, she says, "I'm very good at leaving out that last unnecessary detail."

The Boutique

Above: Located in what had been an antiques shop in a landmarked building, the boutique was designed by Oliver Gustav, whose own interior design shop and studio is just a few doors away. He's the one who suggested the color: "Oliver and I are both big fans of gray," says Koné, "but this time I wanted something softer. Oliver presented me with an environmentally friendly, water-based, chalk paint made from natural pigments. He showed me this exact dusty, powdery pink, and I fell in love. It's called Skin Powder."

Above: Koné's satchels, wallets, and bum bags hang from hooks on an iron bar. The rusty lamp came from a Paris flea market.

Above: The shelves are painted with the same dusty pink as the walls, and both are finished with two layers of environmentally friendly sealer—the paint is custom blended and is available, like many of the shop accessories, via Studio Oliver Gustav. The floor lamp, detailed with brushed brass and matte mirror glass, is from an edition of 18 made by Danish designer Kevin Josias.

Above: For trying on Koné's plum pumps: an Oak Stool by German carpenter and film director Fritz Baumann

Above: Display blocks made of terracotta stand in front of one of the original arched windows.

The floors are pine and were installed by the previous tenant. "They didn't wash or treat the floors for many years," Koné says. "When I moved in, I decided to emphasize the patina, but I wanted a less yellow tone, and I like the smell of newly washed pine. So we scrubbed with soap and water, and then treated the floor with two coats of gray stain and alcohol, followed by another soap wash. Now, they're easy to maintain, and we clean them every evening with soap flakes." Intrigued? There are a lot of ways to create a pale wood effect. See Izabella's solution in our Remodeling 101 post: Easy Whitewashed Scandi Floors and go to page 221 of the Remodelista book for a soap-washed approach similar to Koné's. Note the inset doormat, another Remodelista favorite.

Above: The boutique is located at 3 Store Strandstraede, next to Nyhavn, Copenhagen's 17th-century waterfront.

The Apartment

Above: Several years ago, Koné and her family lucked into their apartment in the middle of Vesterbro, in a 1910 art-nouveau-style building designed by architect Anton Rosen. Like the shop, it has tall ceilings and period details that are paired with clean-lined furnishings, such as the Mags Module Sofa, shown here, by Danish company Hay. The low tables are from eBay—"I think they were used in factories to stack," Koné says. "I bought them for a very low cost." For a long time, Koné kept the windows uncovered; they now have "very discrete white blinds."

Above: "We had the bookcases built and treated the pine floor with white oil; that's it," Koné says. She singles out the shelving as one of her favorite things in the apartment: "It was custom-made by Danish firm Kobenhavns Mobelsnedkeri. The design is so simple and timeless, and brings some personality." The next room is Koné's home office.

Above L: Dried poppy pods and a photo mural. Above R: An outsized industrial light found by a collector friend hangs from the living room's original plasterwork.

Above: Brass vases that were props from a theater are paired with an African hairdresser sign, a perfect addition to the apartment's black-and-white palette.

Above L: There's even a balcony. Above R: The scrap-wood table was once used in a photo studio.

Above: A hallway leads to the kitchen and a shared kids' room. The runner is Tine K Home's Jute Kit. The hanging light—"very cheap and old"—was purchased on eBay Germany.

Above: In the kitchen a white Ikea cabinet supplies essential storage and replaces existing white wood cabinets that were new but made to look old: "I don't like fake vintage," Koné says. The table by Kobenhavns Mobelsnedkeri is smoked oak and was designed to fit the room. The odd lot of chairs are all inexpensive vintage finds.

Above L: A kitchen tableau on a lacquered wood counter: "I didn't like the reddish color, so I stained it black and after that lacquered it many, many times to make it durable and easy to keep." Above R: A vintage cupboard holds some of the kids' artwork.

Above: The master bedroom's platform bed frame came long ago from a futon shop. An old wall cupboard, newly painted black and white, is mounted over an old set of wooden file drawers from a doctor's office.

Above L and R: The black-and-white theme extends to the bathroom. For more, go to Yvonne Koné.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/designer-visit-yvonne-kon-house-and-shop-copenhagen-studio-oliver-gustavThu, 01 Jan 2015 08:00:00 -0800Margot GuralnickA retired couple bids farewell to life in the city and moves to Mount Yatsugatake on the island of Honshū with a desire to spend the remainder of their lives farming their own vegetables surrounded by mountains. They buy a plot of land to build their new house at an elevation with a harsh and tricky climate, too hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Carrying forth the Japanese tradition of coexisting harmoniously with nature, Tokyo architectural firm MDS designed a structure oriented to capitalize on the prevailing winds, optimal sun angles, and best mountain views—with not an air conditioner in sight. Let’s have a look.

Above: A detail of the living room looking toward the combination kitchen/dining room. The charred wall is a Japanese tradition known as shou sugi ban. In Dark Wood: Shou Sugi Ban Torched Lumber we explore where to source charred wood.

Above: In the living room, sliding glass doors detailed with shoji screens slide open to allow in breezes, while the overhang is designed to keep out the high angle of the summer sun. The low angle of the sun during the winter, however, means the house can be warmed when it's cold outside. The exposed beams hide the tracks for the shoji screens and the sliding glass doors.

Above: A woodstove keeps the rooms warm during the winter.

Above: The kitchen and dining area opens to a washitsu, a Japanese room furnished with tatami mats.

Above: In the kitchen, housecleaning tools and utensils hang in the space under the stairs.

Above: A view back toward the dining area from the washitsu. The continuous shoji screens give the house a traditional feel.

Above: The second floor is an open loftlike space with a sleeping and office area. The door leads into the walk-in closet.

Above: The work area with shoji screens runs the entire length of the room.

Above: When the shoji screens are closed, the bedroom becomes a sanctuary.

Above: During the summer months, the north- and south-facing windows are opened for optimum breeze ventilation and mountain gazing.

Above: The wood details are an updated version of traditional Japanese wood architecture.

Above: A detail of a wooden screen.

Above: One is never far from nature, even in the bath.

Above: The house is oriented south in a fan shape to maximize the amount of winter sun that reaches the rooms.

Above: A plan and diagram of the first floor illustrates all of the considerations that went into the siting of the house.

Above: A plan and diagram of the second floor.

Above: A fully noted section of the house illustrating sun angles and breezes.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/architect-visit-modern-japanese-farm-house-mds-yatsugatake-house-honshu-japanWed, 31 Dec 2014 02:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayTwo brothers living halfway around the world from each another, one in Hong Kong and the other in London, wanted to create a shared vacation house in Barcelona, the city where they grew up. They bought a tall ceilinged piano nobile apartment in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona with a distinctive—and challenging—design feature: a triangular floor plan. In need of a solution that would make the most of their apartment's geometry, they hired David Kohn Architects of London. The firm responded with a big move: They removed all the interior walls to create one large corner room as a shared living space. But the brothers still needed separate bedrooms and bathroom areas. Nonplussed, the architects maximized the double-height space and fit these in efficiently along the perimeter of the room. And to avoid confusion, they created a complex, 25-color triangular tile pattern on the floor that maps out private as well as shared space, thereby mitigating any sibling rivalry.

Above: After removing the interior walls of the apartment, the architects created separate bedrooms in furniture-like boxes in each leg of the triangular space. At this end, the box houses two bedrooms—a guest bedroom on the lower level and a bedroom for one of the brothers on the upper level. The encaustic floor tiles were manufactured by Mosaics Martí, supplier of tiles to Antoni Gaudí, and are predominantly green in this section of the apartment.

Above: The bedrooms are just big enough for sleeping.

Above: Built-in wooden louvers can be opened or closed according to sleep requirements.

Above: The apartment's front door opens onto a brass-glazed entry with a balcony on top. The upper bedroom and its accompanying bathroom behind the gray door are accessed from the balcony.

Above: To differentiate between the brothers' private spaces, the tile pattern is graded in color from green at one end to red at the other.

Above: The two-story wooden bedroom unit works like a miniature building within the apartment.

Above: The wood-lined interiors create cozy sleeping chambers.

Above: An overall look at the apartment, viewed from the balcony. (The third leg of the triangle is reflected in the mirror at the apex of the room, where the dining table sits.) Metal shelving extends from the balcony, providing library-like storage for books.

Above: The other brother's bedroom sits above the kitchen, and it too has a balcony that leads to its own bathroom. The floor tiles in this area are predominantly red. For more ideas on tiled backsplashes, see Patchwork Tiles: 11 Mix-and-Match Ideas.

Above: The moveable stairs to this bedroom also function as library stairs.

Above: The dining room table, placed at the apex of the apartment, appears to be twice as long in the mirror's reflection.

Above: In the shared spaces, the reds and greens in the floor tiles are more evenly mixed.

Above: The distinctive triangular form of the apartment building recalls the Flatiron building in New York City.

Above: A diagrammatic sketch of how the colors in the tile floor change gradually across the apartment. Image by David Kohn Architects.

N.B: This post is an update; the original appeared on September 4, 2014, as part of The Organized Life issue.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/architect-visit-david-kohn-architects-carrer-aviny-house-apartment-remodel-barcelonaTue, 30 Dec 2014 04:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayLocated in a former carpet warehouse built more than a century ago, this light-flooded loft in Barcelona features a library corner with steel shelves, banker's chairs, and a vintage telephone. For sourcing ideas, read on.

Above: The spun aluminum Metalarte Ray Pendant Light was designed by Jordi Veciana; it's available in two sizes (small is $630 and medium is $992) and in a black or white finish from Y Lighting. Another option is Tom Dixon's Cone Light Large (shown above); $1,406 CAD ($1,210 USD) at GR Shop.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/steal-this-look-library-loft-in-barcelonaTue, 30 Dec 2014 02:00:00 -0800Julie CarlsonThe one-story brick Victorian in Prahran, a suburb of Melbourne, had been extensively remodeled in the 1980s and was a jumble of small spaces that lacked light, access to the outdoors, and a logical floor plan. Enter Studio Four, a Melbourne architecture and design studio that righted all those wrongs by restructuring the internal flow and introducing a new kitchen and second story living quarters. Designed so that everything has its place—and to withstand a daily pounding from its young occupants—the house exudes practicality and good cheer.

Above: The new kitchen viewed from an outdoor dining area with concrete pavers and a freshly painted brick exterior wall. Concealed sliding doors link the two spaces.

Above: The floors, island, and stools were custom-built of American oak that was selected, Sarah Henry of Studio Four told Dezeen, "because of its soft color and uniform grain." Svelte steel open shelves run along the main kitchen wall, providing storage and display space, and, notes Henry, "minimal visual bulk."

Above: The island extends into a dining table surrounded by a set of Ch20 Elbow Chairs by Hans Wegner for Carl Hansen & Sons.

Above: The seamless counter run has beveled-edge cabinet openings. Learn about Invisible Cabinet Hardware in Remodeling 101. The room in the back contains a butler's pantry and laundry. Photograph via Arch Daily.

Above: The kitchen is open to the living room but raised on an oak plinth to separate the two. As Studio Four explains, "With subtle changes in floor and ceiling levels, and the introduction of new joinery elements and controlled openings, each space becomes further defined." Photograph via Arch Daily.

Above: Built-in shelves frame a wall in the living room, which is at the heart of the original house.

Above: A slatted wood chimney wall rises above a black steel hearth. The architects say they tied together the room by introducing a series of horizontal and vertical elements. The side table is the Around Table by Muuto.

Above: A longitudinal sectional study of the house presents the tidy new room arrangement. The second story is stepped back and barely visible from the exterior. Notes Studio Four: "In contrast to the existing Victorian spaces in the front of the dwelling, which provide enclosure and a sense of seclusion, the new living areas to the rear promote openness and interaction." Image via Studio Four.

This post is an update; the original ran on August 11, 2014, as part of our Down Under issue.

More Stories from Remodelista

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/the-albert-street-residence-in-melbourne-by-studio-four-architectsMon, 29 Dec 2014 02:00:00 -0800Margot GuralnickLast month London-based chef Skye Gyngell opened her highly anticipated restaurant Spring to instant acclaim (we dropped in a couple of weeks ago for lunch and were smitten by the food and the decor).

So what does the former head chef of Petersham Nurseries (where she earned a Michelin star) and previous food editor at Vogue UK do when the day is done? She heads home and cooks some more. "When it's freezing outside, cooking warming soups and stews gives me a reason to look forward to coming home," Gyngell says. "I like to relax in my kitchen, cooking and spending time with my two daughters." Join us for a tour of her kitchen and find out what she's cooking for Christmas.

Photography by Alexis Hamilton for British Standard, unless otherwise noted.

Above: Gyngell opted for a two-tone kitchen: Everything under the counter is dark, and everything above the counter is white. Her battered wood floors suggest a "working" kitchen and are in keeping with the spirit of cabinets from British Standard, Plain English's more affordable offshoot.

Above: The kitchen is on the ground floor of a west London terraced house and looks out onto the street. The tall cabinets on the left provide ample storage without looking too "kitchen-y."

Above: A white Carrara marble backsplash running the entire length of the wall is matched by the same material on the countertop. The traditional cabinets, painted Hague Blue from Farrow & Ball, contrast with the clean details of the stainless steel Mercury 1000 Range Cooker and Hood. An open shelf continues the datum set by the height of the hood.

Above: The chef's vintage cookbooks are easily accessible via open shelving on one side of the island. A painting propped on the counter is a warm addition to the Carrara marble backsplash. (Want to try this in your kitchen? See The New Art Gallery: Paintings in the Kitchen.)

Above: A wall-mounted white BL6 Light from Bestlite provides task lighting along the clutter-free worktop. "I don't have a food processor. I do everything in a pestle and mortar. I love hands, the connection with food," she told the London Times recently. Her arsenal includes "good knives from the Japanese Knife Company and Bourgeat pans."

Above: At the end of the kitchen, casual bench seating echoes the shape of the bay window.

Above: The leather cabinet pulls are from Plain English, British Standard's parent company.

Above: What's the chef cooking for Christmas? "On Christmas Eve, I'll cook with friends—something traditional like a big glazed ham," Gyngell says. "Everyone always makes a big fuss about desserts at this time of year, but I like to finish meals with just a few lovely fresh clementines." Photograph by Amber Rowlands.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/house-call-skye-gyngell-chef-at-home-with-british-standard-kitchenMon, 15 Dec 2014 04:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayThis weekend Hugh Randolph, founding principal of Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects and a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory, talks to us about his renovation of a historic house in Austin, Texas. He will be available for the next 48 hours to answer any and all questions about his less-than-straightforward design solutions. Ask away!

The Scenario: Seeking a lifestyle change, a creative Austin couple (he’s an inventor in the high-tech industry, she works in arts education) and their two teenage daughters trade their 4,800-square-foot home far from town for an 1,800-square-foot, one-story Greek Revival cottage in historic West Austin.

The Challenge: The family aspire to what they term "less space, less waste" living, and yet their new place needs to be considerably rethought and enlarged to work for them. Architect Hugh Randolph has to find a way of adding another 1,000 square feet while maintaining the traditional character of the house and keeping its surrounding garden as large as possible.

The Solution: Randolph can't extend, so he builds up. With some clever roof manipulation, he fits an entire teen suite (two bedrooms and a shared loft) into the eaves of what had been attic space. Meanwhile, he reworks the main floor so extensively that only one living room wall and the chimney and fireplace are in their original locations.

The Result: A light-filled modern house set in a traditional-looking cottage.

Randolph’s Top Tips

Think on your feet and be open to design modifications during construction. Many of the features of this house evolved as we uncovered and improved while it was being built.

Be brave and move walls or other existing features that no longer make sense.

New build does not have to look new—much of what we built has been mistaken for being part of the original house.

Above: Randolph raised the roofline of the house by three feet, but from the street, the 1935 Greek Revival Cottage looks almost untouched. Three modern dormers that bring light into the shared common space of the teen suite are the only hint of change.

Above: In the living room at the front of the house, one wall and the chimney and fireplace are the only architectural elements that remain in their original locations post-renovation. The wood shiplap siding is reclaimed from the interior walls of the house and the fireplace surround is plaster with a steel trim.

Above: A new stair connects the ground floor to the upper bedrooms and loft. "The chimney is the visual anchor of the back of the house and its modern appearance is a contrast to the more traditional front room of the house," Randolph says. "We exposed the brick to reveal the history of the existing chimney and its construction." In the spirit of maximizing space, Randolph also managed to fit an office and closet underneath the stairs (see below). Ebony-stained oak was used on the stairs and floors. Photograph by Casey Dunn.

Above: Situated in the back of the house, the kitchen has modern windows that extend straight to the ceiling. A soapstone countertop contrasts with the Carrara marble used on the island. The building beyond is a garage now used as a workshop.

Above: The stove wall backsplash is wallpaper depicting a black-and-white crowd scene; it's protected with a glass panel. The hood was custom made of MDF and painted to match the cabinets. Photograph by Casey Dunn.

Above: The dining area at the front of the house has a more traditional look, enhanced by a newly added exposed wood ceiling. Photograph by Casey Dunn.

Above: "We evolved the design during construction to change from an open stair rail to the solid white panels we now have," Randolph says. "This allowed the storage closet door to be more fully integrated and also helped to make the stair more of a sculptural object."

Above: The space under the stair is near the kitchen and an active area of the house. "It made sense for this to be the wife's desk area because she wanted to be near the rest of the family," Randolph says. "She has an amazing, eclectic sense of style and was the lead on the interior design decisions." The office dimensions are approximately 3 feet, 8 inches by 6 feet; the ceiling height goes from 5 feet, 10 inches at its lowest up to 8 feet.

Above: Vintage, half-glazed doors bring light from the stair hall, sheathed in shiplap siding, into the hall of the master bedroom suite. Photograph by Casey Dunn.

Above: Like the kitchen, the windows in the master bath run up to the ceiling.

Above: Randolph designed the custom vanity, and his client selected the subway tiles on the walls and the patterned tiles on the floor. Photograph by Casey Dunn.

Above: The headboard in the master bedroom ties into the shiplap paneling that appears throughout the house. Photograph by Casey Dunn.

Above: The master bedroom is at the front of the house, which retains its original window proportions. A sitting area with twin club chairs makes good use of the light. Photograph by Casey Dunn.

Above: "The changing brick textures of the chimney act as a record of the changes that have been made to the house," says Randolph. "By preserving the old white paint on the upper portion of the chimney that previously went through the roof, we were showing another evolution of the old and new." Photograph by Patrick Wong.

Above: The new modern dormers on the front of the house bring shafts of light into the shared loft in the teen suite. Photograph by Patrick Wong.

Above: Three of the four family members and their pets enjoy the front porch. The new standing seam metal roof has a paint-grip galvanized finish. In Hardscaping 101: Standing Seam Metal Roofs, learn about this option that's a favorite of architects. Photograph by Casey Dunn.

Above: In the back, the kitchen and one of the second-story bedrooms are stacked to form a double-height modern box within the existing footprint of the house.

Above: A single-story block that holds the master bathroom is the only new build that breaks out of the existing footprint of the house. Randolph created vertical baffles made of square aluminum tubes and placed them on the new modern sections of the house. "We wanted to refer to the rhythm of the old horizontal siding without matching it," Randolph says. "Like the old siding, the baffles cast shadows on the walls and create visual interest and change throughout the day."

Above: The ground-floor plan. The blue walls indicate new construction.

Above: The floor plan of the upper level showing the teen suite with its two bedrooms and shared loft space at the front.

Above: A diagram illustrates how Randolph found extra headroom in the attic by raising the roof in the front and creating flat roofs in the back.

Above: The chimney becomes a dividing line in the house between the traditional and the modern.

Before

Above: The house as it appeared when it was first purchased.

Above: The attic space into which Randolph fit two bedrooms and a shared loft.

Above: A 1980s image of the kitchen.

Above: A view of the original living room paneled with shiplap siding.

Above: Installing the reclaimed shiplap siding during the renovation.

N.B. All Before images are from Keeping the Pease, a blog the husband wrote to document the renovation.

Hugh Randolph shares addidtional thoughts on the project in this video.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/architect-is-in-palma-residence-hugh-jefferson-randolph-architects-austin-texasSat, 13 Dec 2014 04:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayEvery architect—and architecture devotee—has a library of treasured design books lovingly built up over time. Here are five welcome new additions to the shelves.

Above: A chair is like a mini building, which explains why we architects are obsessed with seating. In his quest to "design just one good chair," midcentury Danish designer Hans Wegner created more than 500 of them. Wegner: Just One Good Chair by Design Museum Denmark curator Christian Holmsted Olesen documents the process; $50.56. UK readers can find the book on Amazon.co.uk for £45.

Above: With over 2,000 images and documents, many previously unpublished,Le Corbusier Le Grand is the definitive book on arguably the greatest architect of the 20th century—a must-have for every architect's library; $41.89. UK readers can find the book on Amazon.co.uk for £29.14.

Above: Philip Johnson may have put New Canaan, Connecticut, on the architectural map with his Glass House, but he wasn't the only modern architect paying homage to the Bauhaus in this leafy suburb. Midcentury Houses Today documents the legacy of architectural masters such as Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, Eliot Noyes, and Edward Durell Stone, who left their mark in New Canaan, and, most interestingly, the book looks at how these houses are lived in today; $40.90. In the UK, the book is available through Amazon.co.uk for £52.

Above: Architect of the Bank of England and the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Sir John Soane's own home in Lincoln's Inn Fields is on the tour of every architecture student who comes to visit London. Originally published in 1999 and newly back in print this year, John Soane, Architect: Master of Space and Light explains the genius behind this 18th-century innovator; $47.98. Readers in the UK can find the book at Amazon.co.uk; £36.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/gift-guide-2014-books-for-the-architectWed, 10 Dec 2014 08:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayThe challenge: to convert an old farm dwelling in the Loire into a modern, light-filled home—with minimal intervention. French firm Septembre Architecture accomplished this by executing subtle and discrete interventions: major overhaul not necessary. By matching the delicate color palette found in the original construction materials, the designers masterfully bridge old with new.

Above: The white walls in all the rooms form a backdrop to a palette of soft, natural shades. In the kitchen, new materials are introduced through the light wood cabinets, open shelving, and Polished Concrete Floor.

Above: In the living area, by opening up the ceiling to the full height of the house, the architects were able to create a mezzanine level.

Above: Vestiges of the original construction can be seen in the wood ceiling lintels.

Above: On the mezzanine, the simple, lightweight detailing of the metal rails contrasts with the heavy wood beams and stone walls of the original house.

Above: The exposed beams are celebrated in the sparsely decorated bedroom.

Above: The existing roofline in an upstairs bedroom is left intact.

Above: The silhouette of the door follows the roofline.

Above: In the bathroom, double sinks stand on a lightweight metal vanity.

Above: From the exterior, there is nothing to suggest the modern renovation on the interior.

Above: The farmhouse sits comfortably in the context of its surrounding village.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/a-stone-farmhouse-in-france-gets-an-artful-updateTue, 09 Dec 2014 06:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayMinimalists need medicine cabinets, too. Our visit to architect Philip Johnson's iconic Glass House, in New Canaan, Connecticut, was like meeting a movie star: thrilling at first sight, and then reassuringly familiar. There are many lessons to be learned from the 1949 landmark, and quite a few are surprisingly practical and affordable. Granted permission to photograph the house at dawn, we snooped in cupboards and opened closed doors (with the help of a curator), and came away with a list of ideas worth applying to our own far less daring houses.

Above: Set on 49 secluded acres, the Glass House was the first of an eventual 14 structures that Johnson added to the compound, including an underground art gallery; a compact (and much more private) one-bedroom brick house for himself and longtime partner, curator David Whitney; and a red and black asymmetrical gate house he dubbed Da Monsta. Johnson spent 50-plus years living and working on the estate, until his death at 98 in 2005. And all the while, he also orchestrated its seemingly wild plantings, adding and subtracting trees, branches, and tendrils—and directing his crew with a megaphone—to create vistas worthy of a structure with all windows. As Paul Goldberger put it, "The elegantly arranged landscape is as much a part of the house as the furniture."

The estate, now known as The Glass House, belongs to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and functions as a vital if under-the-radar museum offering contemporary art shows, events, tours (reservations required), plus a Glass House Design Store in downtown New Canaan. And for a contribution of $30,000, you can spend a night in the Glass House. To prepare the place for guests, Crista Bazoian, manager of the shop, went looking for new bedding and found it right here on Remodelista: She ordered an ensemble from one of our favorite sources, Rough Linen. When we heard, we had to take a look, and so did Tricia Rose, owner of Rough Linen, who immediately hopped on a plane from SF to join us. Here's what we discovered.

1. Timeless design really can last a lifetime.

Above: Johnson's living room furniture is by his friend Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. (The Glass House itself was directly inspired by a model of Mies's Farnsworth house in Illinois.) After seeing Mies's German Pavilion at the International Exposition in Barcelona of 1929, Johnson ordered the furniture for his own New York living room and then used it in the Glass House. Once in place, not a single piece, down to the coffee table's round ashtray and square box, ever changed (since the sixties, though, the stool has sported a cigarette burn left by Andy Warhol).

Note the intimate placement of the seating for easy conversation and the lounge option (in this house, comfort is welcomed in, if not allowed to reign supreme: "You can feel comfortable in any environment as long as it's beautiful," said Johnson).

2. There are all kinds of ways to build a wall.

Above: How to divide a glass cube into living, sleep, and eating quarters? Johnson built dual-function barriers, including a standing painting and a long wooden storage cupboard that sections off the bedroom (and ensures clutter-free living). The cabinet, which also serves as a headboard, holds blankets and bedding, tableware, and household supplies.

3. Display art at a human level.

Above: Johnson purchased Nicolas Poussin's 17th-century painting, The Burial of Phocion, at the recommendation of Alfred H. Barr, Jr., the Museum of Modern Art's first director (Johnson himself served as MoMA's first curator of architecture). The painting shows a landscape that uncannily evokes the pastoral scene on view from the windows. Its ingenious standing display easel is arranged so that the base meets the horizon line outside.

Above: Johnson mounted the painting on a board and elevated it on a metal framework, an ideal solution for a house with no walls to hang things on (but, given the painting's sun exposure, not exactly an archival approach).

4. Incorporate air space into your room design.

Above: The interior is just over 1,700 square feet (with 10 foot, 4 1/2 inch tall ceilings), and each part has plenty of breathing room. The seating area overlooks a dining table designed by Johnson and a papier-mâché maquette of Two Circus Women, a sculpture by Elie Nadelman. When Frank Lloyd Wright visited, he reportedly insisted the sculpture was out of place and moved it. After he left, Johnson put it right back. As he explained, "A room is only as good as you feel when you're in it."

5. Give in to window covers.

Above: Though the Glass House isn't visible from the road, Johnson eventually succumbed to sliding panels to block the sun and prevent interlopers from seeing inside—Yale architecture students were among the many known to appear uninvited for a look around. Johnson's woven window panels are from Conrad, which still specializes in custom sun shades. The ones in the house are similiar to the company's Toksu grass design.

6. Cover up what you don't want to display.

Above: How to plunk a working kitchen into an eyesore-free, open-plan room? Johnson devised a compact but extremely functional galley—and then he figured out a way to make it disappear.

Above: Presto chango: A hinged walnut top (with rubber-footed legs) folds down over the sink and stove, turning the space into a martini bar and buffet. During the museum's parties at the house, it's still put to use.

Above: As for the appliances, Johnson turned to Kitchens by Dean, in New Canaan, for his stainless steel sink, GE fridge, freezer, 24-inch stove, and wooden cabinets—all tidily tucked under the counter. To give the setup unity and an industrial look, Johnson painted it all gray.

Above: For coffee and tea, the kitchen is stocked with a Chemex coffee maker and the Teema collection of pared-down tableware by Finnish designer Kaj Franck—like the Glass House, Franck's ceramics are based on square, circular, and rectangular shapes. Of course, Johnson always kept his wares in a kitchen cabinet when not in use. (Read about Teema in Object Lessons; the pieces shown here are available at the Glass House Store.)

7. Brick makes interesting, durable flooring. (And it works well with radiant heat.)

Above: Is it time to rediscover herringbone brick? The Glass House's floor is more indestructible than wood (if not easier on the legs). And it conducts heat well—the house has a hydronic radiant-heat system in which hot water flows through piping under the bricks. Go to Remodeling 101 to learn 5 Things to Know about Radiant Floor Heating. And see Brick Makes a Comeback for an interesting use of brick in a contemporary remodel, herringbone floors included.

8. A curve or two is pleasing to the eye.

Above: The house's only fully enclosed room is a brick cylinder that serves on one side as a fireplace. When embers are lit, the room's cross breeze is said to ignite the fire.

Above: On the other side, the cylinder contains a bathroom conveniently right off the bedroom. "You haven't any straight lines in your body. Why should we have straight lines in architecture?" said Johnson. "You'd be surprised when you go into a room that has no straight line how marvelous it is that you can feel the walls talking back to you, as it were."

Above: The bathroom has a curved wood door and frame (with faint marks on it from Johnson's wheelchair during his last stays in the house).

9. Consider a full-length medicine cabinet.

Above: Sheathed in pale green Italian glass tiles, the bathroom's storage is cleverly tucked into its outsize medicine cabinet. For a similar design, consider Restoration Hardware's Frame Metal Full-Length Medicine Cabinet. Urban Archaeology carries a range of Glass Tiles (but be warned: We've heard that the edges of glass tiles can be razor sharp and require a lot of filing).

10. Apply texture in unexpected places.

Above: Johnson loved to experiment with materials: He built an open-air Ghost House on the property from chain link fencing; constructed Da Monsta from gunite, a plasterlike swimming pool composite; and applied leather tiles on the bathroom ceiling. True, they're not practical for a small space with high humidity, but because Johnson and Whitney more often showered in the brick house across from the Glass House, the leather has held up.

Above: The shower has a shades-of-Pompeii circular tiled frame and a curtain on a metal ceiling track.

11. A bedroom doesn't need much more than a bed.

Above: A 1927 Mies van der Rohe glass-and-tubular-steel table stands next to a ghost of a bed cloaked in a woven cotton spread that Johnson brought back from a trip to Greece. For simplicity of line, all else, including pillows, is kept in the surrounding cupboards. Johnson's dictum: "Pick very few objects and place them exactly."

The windows were sized according to the largest panels of glass available at the time and the lower panels are chair-rail height. Waking up to a snowstorm is one of the biggest thrills. See Bedtime Under Glass for a report by Guy Trebay of the New York Times, who not so long ago got to test out a night at the house.

Above: The cupboards have simple patinated brass knobs.

Above: The windows are steel-framed and secured with brass hardware.

Above: When there are overnight guests, the bed is dressed in its new Rough Linen bedding.

12. Layer your lighting.

Above: Alongside exposed steel I-beams, each corner of the house is lit by canister lights. After moving in, Johnson hired lighting designer Richard Kelly to minimize glare and save him from having to stare at his own reflection after dark. Kelly responded by creating a subtle system of interior up lights and exterior down lights.

13. Plants make good roommates.

Above: A spindly pencil cactus brings the outdoors in and keeps the room from feeling chilly. It stands next to a Mies van der Rohe tubular steel and leather desk and Brno Chair. On Gardenista, join our debate about Plants in the Bedroom and learn about Johnson's succulent of choice in the New "It" Houseplant.

14. Borrow freely from others.

Above: Johnson openly grabbed the idea for an all-glass house from Mies van der Rohe—he even managed to get his built first—and found inspiration all over, from antiquity to the Bauhaus to Frank Gehry's aversion to right angles. He encouraged people to design their own houses and, while doing so, to borrow brazenly: "I got everything from someone. Nobody can be original. As Mies said, 'I don't want to be original. I want to be good.'"

The Springs opened in mid-October as a natural health super center—almost 14,000 square feet of yoga studio, juice bar, raw vegan restaurant, holistic healing clinic, and supply shop. The interiors were designed by architects Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Rudolph of the sassily named firm Design, Bitches, who transformed a standard-issue 1980s cinder block warehouse into the colorful urban oasis it is today. The Springs isn't one thing per se—the designers point out that the floor plan is "non-hierarchical" in order to let users define the space over time. All told, the transformation took about 13 months—but its identity is just beginning to unfold.

Above: The juice bar is defined on one side by a wall of custom plywood cubbies; on the other, by custom concrete-block planters that were added to match the existing walls.

Above: Skylights provide light by day; overhead LED strip lights glow by night. The existing concrete floors of the warehouse were in good condition and required only minor patching.

Above L: Custom-made cafe tables are paired with yellow Broom Chairs by Phillipe Starck for Emeco. Above R: The designers positioned Assembly Home Paperclip Desk Lamps along the juice bar. Bar stools are by Brendan Ravenhill; the legs of the cafe tables were painted to match.

Above: Johnson and Rudolph used translucent colored plastic in yellow and red to give the juice bar a "sun-drenched" feel. The plywood cubbies were styled by owners Jared Stein and Kimberly Helms, with help from a theater-stylist friend. The trio wanted to channel personality, quirkiness, and fun.

Above: A rope screen serves as a subtle room divider. The vegan raw restaurant is headed by chef Michael Falso of M.A.K.E. in Santa Monica. None of the food is heated over 108 degrees, and is made by juicing, blending, soaking, and dehydrating—not cooking. (Not the vegan raw type? Start with the organic beer and wine on tap.)

Above: Blue and turquoise Acapulco chairs in the lounge. The same overhead white lanterns are used throughout the entire complex to create a continuity among the spaces.

Above L: A blue-stained plywood wall defines the area in the vegan raw restaurant. R: The yoga studio is painted with a mural by local artist Angelina Christina. Yoga mats are by Kharma Khare, made from car tires salvaged from landfills.

Above: The way to the yoga studio. Because the building sits next to a trucking thoroughfare, the indoor air is filtered. Whatever the mechanical system can't accomplish, air-filtering plants take on.

Above: The shop is curated by Oakland's Atomic Garden and includes organic clothing by LA-based LVR—the uniform-of-choice for yoga instructors at The Springs.

Above: The Springs even offers indoor bike parking via Bike Tracs, made in the US by Wisconsin-based Saris.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/the-springs-an-la-style-health-complex-by-design-bitchesThu, 04 Dec 2014 08:00:00 -0800Meredith SwinehartThe Scenario: A Toronto girl with an art degree makes her way in NYC from Vogue intern to star stylist's sidekick to Graydon Carter's assistant. Along the way she splashes out her own loft, and friends start signing her up to overhaul their places. Leigh Herzig's design career is born—and it flourishes when she and her husband relocate to LA in 2007. Her credits include several top-to-bottom house remodels and Bruno Mars's recording studio in Hollywood.

The Challenge: Herzig is ready to try her hand at architecture—"I love creating spaces. I thrive on gnawing over design challenges," she says—but who is going to hire a self-taught, untried newbie?

The Solution: Herzig and her husband, owner of a rum company, invest in a West Hollywood teardown, which presents her with her dream job. Acting as her own client, she assembles a crew (trusted general contractor, engineer, and cabinetmaker included) and designs and builds a five-bedroom spec house entirely from the ground up. Two years later, it's complete, fully staged, and on the market.

Top Takeaways: 1. Supply your crew with as many drawings as possible. "Visuals say much more than words." (Herzig sketched out all details and had a draftsman—in Poland—supply the CAD drawings. "Learning CAD is one of my next to-dos." 2. Splurge on expensive materials in small spaces: "I used antique marble in the powder room because I only needed about 20 square feet." 3. Consider plasterwork walls instead of paint: "Beautiful plaster adds so much warmth and nuance to a house that you don't need much else." 4. When the cash runs out, paint can mimic plaster (such as in the upstairs rooms). 5. Don't let the permitting process kill you: "It just takes tremendous persistence."

Above: Designed to tip its hat to the Spanish-style architecture of LA, the 4,000-square-foot house is, says Herzig, "a mix of old-world European and earthy modern California, with inspiration from the Belgian interiors of Axel Vervoordt and Vincent Van Duysen." The entry opens to a showstopping winding stair and arched doorway with walls and ceilings clad in Stuc Italien, a Venetian stucco from LA company Terre du Monde. Of her passion for plaster, Herzig says, "What we used is completely green and all natural; it's soft and modern-looking and earthy all at once."

Above: To get the house ready for sale, Herzig worked with a staging company that supplied many of the major pieces, including the den's sofa, sideboard, Restoration Hardware rug, and artwork. The room opens onto the back courtyard and pool. As for what look like metal-framed windows, Herzig says, "I spent a lot on light fixtures but was more resourceful when it came to the windows and doors. I desperately wanted those gorgeous, big steel-framed doors, but they were totally cost prohibitive. Instead, I worked with Kobi's Windows & Doors, a custom manufacturer, to create the same look with wood and glass."

Above: "I wanted to create a modern kitchen in a rustic setting," says Herzig, who situated the room in the back, flanked by the den and dining room (and overlooking an outdoor courtyard with a fireplace). For durability, its walls and ceiling are clad in Tadelakt Decolakt, traditional Moroccan lime plaster used in hammams and sourced from Terre du Monde. "You really can't tell the difference between it and the Italian plaster, but it's completely waterproof—you just clean it with Marseilles soap. Because it's so durable, I didn't have to add a backsplash, which gives the room a clean look."

Above: Herzig paired the plaster walls with custom cabinets and shelves made from reclaimed wood—a combination of oak, poplar, and beech—sourced from E & K Vintage Wood. She looked for especially thick planks of oak for the open shelves. The cabinets were built by Miguel Matias, who Herzig works with on all her projects, and the Antiqued Brass Hardware is from one of Herzig's favorite LA finds, the Golden Lion. As for the plasterwork, she herself has taken classes and is learning how to apply it, but for this project she hired a specialist who worked nights, after the dust had settled.

Above: The kitchen sink and fridge are conveniently situated alongside a central island, which is topped with stainless steel and has its own integrated sink.

Above: The dining room has an indoor/outdoor feel. "It's cozy for a family of four but big enough to seat 12," says Herzig, in sales mode. She paired a Saarinen table with Ikea rattan chairs and a Serge Mouille ceiling light.

Above: The same wood cabinetry from the kitchen puts in an appearance in the living room, which is anchored by a Spanish-style fireplace, Ikea rug, and midcentury-inspired light, the Choros Chandelier from Circa Lighting. All the pale surfaces, including the coffered ceiling, are Venetian plaster—"It's actually a beige that reads as white." The lucite bar cart came from eBay.

Above: "I was able to spend money on things I didn't need a lot of," says Herzig, who sprung for antique black-and-white marble tiles in the powder room and a limestone trough sink from Big Daddy's—site of this Saturday's Remodelista Holiday Market. The Custom Metal Mirror is from Restoration Hardware and the sconces are 1950s Dutch from LA vintage lighting shop ReWire.

Above: The downstairs office has an en suite bathroom (and shower), and can also be used as a bedroom. The desk is by LA designer Andrew Riiska. When Herzig went looking for wood flooring, she was surprised to discover affordable canewood, engineered flooring made locally using European white oak: "It's about $6 to $8 a square foot. You can't find long boards, but otherwise it looks identical to stuff that's double the price."

Above: There are four bedrooms on the second floor, all with balconies. The master bedroom, shown here, has a bed with a view of the backyard and a fireplace. The Platform Bed and side tables are by Mash Studios. Read about the Noguchi globe light here.

Above: The fireplace also opens to the master bath, which is tiled with large-format limestone squares from Ann Sacks. The fireplace is painted with Sydney Harbour Paint's Liquid Tin: "It's a paint you can burnish! Rubbing it with steel wool brings out a shiny, metallic look." Like the kitchen, all bathrooms in the house are sheathed in waterproof tadelakt.

Above: Inset towel shelves made of salvaged oak.

Above: A nursery with a cove ceiling—"it hides a huge soffit on one side where we had to run air-conditioning pipes." The ceiling light is from Circa.

Above: No two bathrooms are alike—this one has a custom vanity: "It's made of concrete board with two base coats of an aggregate troweled on top and then tadelakt." The bathtub is from Kohler and has a limestone apron. The sconces are an Original BTC design from Horne that we singled out in the Remodelista 100.

Above: Another bedroom is nestled into the house's front turret. The rattan throne is the Roost Olaf Chair.

Above: A view from a bedroom. The round tables are Bamileke Coffee Tables hand-carved in Camaroon from solid pieces of wood.

Above: The backyard has a saltwater pool and Palladian pool house, also designed by Herzig.

One of the big quandaries was what material to use on the ground: "The obvious thing would have been to continue the limestone floors outside, but that was a very expensive option. I thought about flagstone, but it didn't suit the style of the house. Decomposed granite would influence the rest of the landscaping (and it's not ideal to have dirt next to a pool). I love concrete but am used to seeing it in more modern settings. Then, one day, my mother and I admired a line pattern shaped like a frame on someone's concrete driveway. That immediately solved the problem. We used poured concrete with an acid-washed finish and gravel in between. The framing made the whole thing work."

Above: The pool house is designed for lounging and has a small bathroom.

Above: Charro, Herzig's rescued Australian Cattle Dog, accompanied her to the site daily and stayed by her side off-leash.

Above: The courtyard just outside the kitchen/dining area and den has an outdoor fireplace.

Above: Herzig designed the front of the house, with its stucco walls, terracotta roof tiles, and Chateau Marmont-inspired striped canvas awnings, to fit in with the neighborhood: "I'm tired of seeing modern, generic new construction go up with complete disregard for the surroundings." The landscaping was inspired by the work of Scott Schrader, her neighbor, and includes a spiraling cypress topiary, boxwood globes, and Agave attenuata. Under the gravel drive are honeycomb-shaped Easy Roll Gravel Pavers, "an amazing recycled drainage system," says Herzig, that holds the rocks in place.

The house is at 734 N. Kilkea Dr., in West Hollywood, and is on the market via several online real estate sites, including Redfin and The MLS; asking price: $3,295,000. Go to Leigh Herzig to see more.

If you like the look of Venetian plaster, read our Remodeling 101 on chalky, mineral-based Limewash Paint.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/west-hollywood-spec-house-designed-by-leigh-herzigThu, 04 Dec 2014 02:00:00 -0800Margot GuralnickThe Scenario: In 2008, creative couple McShane and Cleo Murnane—he's an architect, she's a designer—boldly took advantage of the real estate market crash by buying a plot of steep, undeveloped hillside land in LA's Silverlake. She was then expecting their first child, Emerson.

The Big Decision: Because of snarled market conditions, getting the requisite construction loan took three years, a chunk of time they used to found Project M+, a Los Angeles collective of designers and architects. They also had their second child, Lake, all the while brooding: Should they save money and build at street level, or blow their budget by building at the top of the site with its sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills and San Gabriel Mountains?

The Solution: Go for broke by investing in the construction and engineering of the smallest possible footprint on the top of the hillside—760 square feet off of which their ingenious new 2,400-square-foot, three-bedroom-house is cantilevered.

McShane and Cleo’s Top Tips:

Work out priorities while allocating budget expenditures. Spend money on the absolute essentials, letting the rest come later. "We moved in with no landscaping or site stairs from the garage to the house, very little furniture — a dining table and our beds — and we’re still waiting to install our fireplace," says McShane.

Stay close to the day-to-day building project. The more of the nuts and bolts you understand, the more rewarding the process is, and the closer to your personal vision.

Above: Cleo and McShane Murnane take in the Hollywood Hills and San Gabriel Mountains from the patio off their living room. The space is paneled with mangaris, a dense, strong, fire-resistant wood that is approved for the Los Angeles hills, an area vulnerable to fires.

Above: In order to minimize excavation and the building of foundations, McShane cantilevered the primary living spaces—open living/dining room, kitchen and master bedroom and bathroom—over a 760-square-foot lower floor where the children's two bedrooms, bathroom and laundry room are located. The house is built with traditional wood framing. Concrete caissons and grade beams were used for the deep structural footings and the cantilever works thanks to four steel beams. The garage, constructed from dark gray-painted cement-board lap siding, is at street level; some 70 steps lead from it to the house.

Above: "The color and materials palette is simple but bold. We like a pared-down aesthetic," says McShane. The couple chose a White Oak Flooring System for "a natural feel"; their sofa is from Remodelista favorite Cisco Home and the coffee table is a custom wood and steel design.

Above: Eventually the fireplace will be built into the area where the couple's daughter Emerson is sitting and painting. "Not putting the fireplace in when the house was originally constructed was a cost-saving measure," McShane says. "In the meantime, it serves as a play area for the kids."

Above: Another cost-saving measure: In place of custom kitchen cabinets, the couple used Ikea designs that they faced with custom MDF fronts. "By painting the lower cabinets gray in contrast to the white Caeserstone counters and full-height cabinets, we created some highlight in the kitchen," says McShane.

Above: In the master bedroom, the couple, both originally from the midwest, pay homage to their new home with a copy of California, a novella by Amra Brooks. "We moved to LA because there's a sense of the untried," says McShane. "It's about where you're going, not where you're from."

Above: McShane and Cleo designed built-in storage around the bedroom window so they wouldn't have to have dressers. At the base a drawer serves as a window seat.

Above: The stairwell with its modern, open wood treads borrows daylight from the public spaces above.

Above: The children's bedrooms are downstairs in the 760-square-foot footprint of the house built into the hillside. The cushion on Emerson's bench is made from 1960s curtain fabric circa designed by Saini Salonen for Boras Boras of Sweden and purchased on Etsy. Emerson's four-poster bed is from The Land of Nod.

Above: Both children have secret access to their bedrooms. Lake's involves a climbing wall that leads to the living area. The children's rooms are painted in two tones: The paint on the lower half has a durable, high-performance surface.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/architect-visit-la-silverlake-hilltop-house-designed-byproject-m-plus-la-mcshane-and-cleo-murnaneMon, 01 Dec 2014 04:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayAfter a day spent obsessing about color, texture, and ornament, what would you want to come home to? For fashion designer Michael Kors, the answer is an apartment that's "clean, spare, and simple, but the pieces have presence and quality, which is the same approach I take to designing clothes."

Kors and husband, Lance LePere, collaborated on their 2,200-square-foot New York City penthouse with interior designer Glenn Gissler, a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory. "Michael is very specific; he likes things to be understated and very edited, using a limited number of materials and colors," says Gissler.

Gissler describes the look as "classic modern seen through a 21st-century filter," by which he means iconic furniture by Florence Knoll, Mies van der Rohe, and George Nelson set in a chic, custom-tailored shell. Anyone who follows Kors's designs knows that updated American sportswear is his bread and butter, but he's equally inclined to take on glamour and whimsy. To that end, the apartment's decor gives a nod to the seventies, when, according to Kors, "New York was really fun!”

Gissler and Kors's friendship goes back nearly that far: "Michael used to get his hair cut by my first wife in our loft in Soho," says Gissler. That's when Kors took note of Gissler's talent: "Little has changed from our conversations 27 years ago," says Gissler. "This is a full reflection of Michael’s dream apartment."

Above: Throughout the apartment, Gissler zeroed in on a palette of black and white, set off by wood and metal accents. "I often hear about incredibly long days of back-to-back design meetings," says Gissler. "At home, Michael and Lance are seeking visual calm."

Above: Lance, a creative director at Michael Kors (the two met at the office), already owned the Florence Knoll sofa and side tables, as well as several stone-based lamps, and Gissler helped fill in the blanks. In the living area, Kors's favorite reading material lines the bookcases: "I love books on photography and design, and I love biographies, whether historical or of the trashy celebrity variety."

Above: A view of the airy living and dining areas. Kors, who is known for going sockless, prefers rug-free living in the main rooms.

The penthouse has two bathrooms, but no office. Says Gissler, "Michael and Lance have a team of people who provide backup for anything and everything to help manage their overscheduled lives."

Above: A Barcelona chair and stool by Mies van der Rohe.

Asked about his favorite part of the design, Gissler responded: "The most important piece of the equation for me is that Michael has someone to share his life with; this apartment was a joint effort and designed with and for both of them. They make a great couple, and that is the thing I like most."

Above: The sectional sofa and large black coffee table are Gissler designs inspired by the Kors aesthetic: "tailored, classic, understated, and chic."

Above: The kitchen's custom cabinets are made of white Corian, with counters and backsplash of honed absolute black granite. "Both materials are simple, monolithic, and easy to maintain," says Gissler.

Above: A George Nelson pendant hovers over a custom table. Though the dining room is perfect for parties, Kors and LePere rarely entertain. "They both work incredibly hard and travel so much that their home is a quiet escape," says Gissler.

Above: In the serene bedroom, Pyrex industrial glass lamps designed in 1971 by John Saladino stand on custom bedside cabinets. White canvas curtain panels cover the windows and a Florence Knoll bench sits at end of bed.

Above: A pair of fur throw pillows on the bedroom lounge chairs is reminiscent of Kors's designs. Says Gissler, "It seems to me that Michael's fundamental design credo hasn't really changed in the nearly three decades that I have known him. He is very consistent."

Above: The master bath is clad in Calacatta Vision Marble from Stone Source, in New York, and has stainless steel Timpani Vessel sinks by Kohler. "Michael specifically requested an all-white bath," says Gissler. "He spends so much time in hotels around the world, he wanted to create his version of the ultimate luxury bath—simplicity, space, and piles of thick white towels."

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/weekend-spotlight-michael-kors-new-york-city-penthouse-designed-by-glenn-gisslerSat, 29 Nov 2014 04:00:00 -0800Meredith SwinehartLondon chef, stylist, and vegetarian cookbook author Anna Jones wants to change the way we eat. And if my steak-loving teenage sons—who recently ate a week’s worth of her recipes without missing meat—are anything to go by, she's on a fast track to success. In her recently published first cookbook, A Modern Way to Eat, Jones, one of Jamie Oliver’s original apprentices at his restaurant Fifteen, offers nourishing, tasty, and quick recipes for people with busy lifestyles. “I believe that eating should be joyful, but as soon as rules, pressure, and diets are linked with eating, we lose track of that joy,” she says.

We recently stopped by to visit Jones in the semi-detached Victorian that she shares with her boyfriend John Dale in East London. "Two Swedish friends used a lovely Swedish expression to describe my house," she says. "They translated it as having the feeling of clean air and freshness—like having all the windows open. If I can make people feel that way in my home and with my food, I'll be a very happy girl." Come take the tour.

Above: Anna Jones in the spot where she spends most of her time. "A Modern Way to Eat was shot in my kitchen and all over the house," she says. "We chased the best light as it changed throughout the day; we even ended up shooting on the spare bed a couple of times."

Above: "I like to think that the way I work with flavor is reflected in how I put my house together," Jones says. "I begin with a calm canvas and then add layers of color and texture." In the front sitting room, Jones selected the Bluebell Sofa and Chair from Sofa.com for their deep seats and high backs—"I like a sofa that can be curled up on." The mirror on the wall by East End designer Daniel Heath is an antique piece that has been renewed with a hand-etched inscription and illustrations of birds.

Above: Jones layers the room with textiles and patterns. She purchased the vintage blanket from Welsh Blankets, a source she discovered at an antiques market. On the windows, she applied a frosted window sticker from Window Film. "This is an easy solution that lets the light come in while still giving us some privacy from the street," she says. "What I love the most about this particular design is how the light comes through in the morning, casting star patterns and shapes on the walls." For complete privacy, large panels of painted MDF with brass piano hinges can be pulled across the window like shutters. In Design Sleuth, Julie discusses the allure of the piano hinge.

Above: "In the winter we use our woodburning stove every day; it's one of my favorite things in the house," says Jones. "The steel bucket is full of wood and old newspapers for building fires, something my boyfriend takes very seriously."

Above: Artist/designer (and across-the-street neighbor) Russell Bamber built much of the cabinetry in Jones's house, including the interior shutters and the kitchen cabinets. In a niche in the living room, he devised a clever shelving system that is held in place by the force of gravity only. "No screws or fixings at all," Jones says, "they are completely adaptable and portable as we change and grow in our house."

Above: Jones's music corner is situated in what was formerly the rear sitting room. The wall between the front and rear sitting rooms was removed to create one large living room. "Music is really important to me," Jones says. "My brother Owen is an amazing guitar player and I love to hear him play when he comes to visit." The lace curtain shields a bathroom on the other side.

Above: A portable Crosley record player sits on a yellow Formica-topped desk from the Ardingly Antiques Fair, one of Jones's favorite places for sourcing props. "My dad recently gave me all of his old records—old soul and Motown, the O'Jays, Muddy Waters, and a lot of Beatles—that we've been playing and dancing to a lot," says Jones. "In the summer we often have dinners in the garden and we move the Crosley outside."

Above: A panel of striped frosted glass replaced a door; it draws light from the hallway into the living room.

Above: In the entry hall, Jones created a pegboard radiator cover. Julia Child would approve.

Above: Plywood cabinets by Russell Bamber lend the kitchen a casual and organic feel. "I love the cutout handles," Jones says. "They're such a simple and clean little design tweak." The vintage French glass pendant light is from Two Columbia Road.

Above: A set of knives are stored on a magnetic rack next to the sink for easy access.

Above: The wood dining table can seat as many as 15; it came from the Ardingly Antiques Fair. The Circus Pendant from the Conran Shop provides a warm glow over the table.

Above: "Most days, the table doubles as my desk while I try out new recipes," Jones says. A Modern Way to Eat, published by Fourth Estate and with photography by Brian Ferry, is shown here open to one of her favorite holiday recipes, Seeded Pistachio and Squash Galette. Now on its third print run since its launch in June, the book is available in the US through Amazon.com for $22.40 and in the UK through Amazon.co.uk for £17.

Above: In the bedroom, plywood shelves on wood brackets are built into a niche (note the Remodelista book on the second shelf).

Above: The French bed frame was an end-of-the day bargain from the Ardingly Antiques Fair. "The romantic headboard works in contrast to the calm of our room," Jones says. A simple radiator cover provides bench seating in the bay window.

Above: "I like keeping my clothes on show," Jones says. "I think in color, so seeing them lined up by shade makes it easier for me to put together an outfit."

Above: "I am a big fan of mixing pre-loved furniture with new things," says Jones of her flea market dresser. "It's much more affordable too."

Above: In the office upstairs, Jones looks out onto the the courtyard of a converted Victorian school. "Our house was orginally the caretaker's house," she says.

Above: Anna Jones's Victorian is similar to many of the houses in the East End of London.

If you're planning a trip to London, be sure to consult our London City Guides. Remodelista friend Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks is a big fan of Anna Jones; check out Heidi Swanson's Travel Kit in our Style Council post.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/anna-jones-victorian-house-in-london-a-modern-way-to-cookMon, 24 Nov 2014 04:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayMatthew Hranek, Yolanda Edwards, and their 11-year-old daughter, Clara, are a traveling trio. The urge to see the world perhaps explains their careers—he's a celebrated photographer and contributing style editor at Conde Nast Traveler, where she's the creative director. It also explains their approach to putting down roots: When they were looking to build their country house in Sullivan County, New York, they went shopping globally and ended up ordering a prefab design by Austrian architect Oskar Leo Kauffman. Hranek and Kauffman first crossed paths at a shoot for Wallpaper in Milan, where Kauffman had been commissioned to create an overnight glass-box house for a Design Week party. Hranek was so impressed by the results that when he returned home, he and Edwards, longtime committed modernists, stopped their search for an architect and placed their own order. She was pregnant at the time, and the two felt ready to trade the cabin on their 130-acre property for a little more room and a much better view.

Kauffman gladly accepted his first (and, to date, only) US prefab order—he and his team even traveled to the site to survey the possibilities. Hranek and Edwards, in turn, made the trip to Dornbirn, Austria, to see their walls and roof in progress at Kauffman's factory operation. ("These guys are perfectionists," says Hranek. "They're so beyond us in their skill level. They create concrete surfaces as smooth as baby skin.")

The prefab design arrived in a series of containers, along with a small crew. Four days later, the structure was standing. And it was complete for the arrival of Clara. Now that they've had time to fully make themselves at home, what does the family of three have to say about life in their $350,000 kit?

Above: Yolanda, Clara, and their dog, Charlie, in their customary morning perch—in front of the 40-foot windows that overlook their meadow. The walls and ceiling are covered in European oak veneer, all of it precisely fitted (note the lack of baseboards and moldings to hide the seams). Kauffman even contributed the dining table (the chairs are vintage Thonet.)

The house is as old as Clara is. "Oskar is a true pro, so I wasn't nervous," says Edwards. "I was actually more anxious about the idea of having a house built from the ground up by local contractors, because I knew the price and the finish date would be constantly moving. Instead, it was a fast and easy process."

Above: The open-plan main room—39 feet long and 24 feet wide—has oak floors with radiant heat and built-ins fabricated by master cabinetmaker Heinz Ruscher. (His work was installed by a five-man finish crew that arrived from Austria after the structure was in place and a local team had added essentials such as plumbing.) "The cabinets are painted with something like car enamel," says Hranek. "Everything is solid in this house and made from the best materials. You close doors and have a seamless surface."

Above: The kitchen, with its white Corian-topped island, is the hub, and Hranek is the designated cook: "I'm completely sold on Corian, it's indestructible. The only thing I'd do differently in this whole place is put in a double kitchen sink," he says. "The Austrians are into little tiny sinks." The pair of 1950s stools are from Housing Works on 17th Street in New York City's Chelsea. Hranek had the pendant lights made to his own specs by "a copper guy out West."

Above: The couple supplied their own appliances: "We shopped online for the most affordable options from restaurant supply stores; the range is a commercial model by Dynasty." (For a kettle like theirs, see Object Lessons: The Great Japanese Cast-Iron Kettle.)

Above: Books do furnish a room—even one shelf. The living area is sectioned off by a felt "ravioli" carpet—two layers of wool with natural latex in between—by Austrian designer Johannes Mohr, and is furnished with the couple's collection of midcentury designs that come from places like "the Swedish version of the Salvation Army."

Above: "At one point I was very into European pottery," says Hranek. "Someone had to stop me." The black and white pieces are by Arabia of FInland.

Above: A French tin holds Champagne caps from many weekend celebrations.

Above: Hranek and Edwards found the Haida prints over their sofa at the gift shop in the Museum of Natural History in Vancouver "for about the price of a poster at Spencer Gifts." The ceramic lamp is a 1950s Martz design.

Above: A Hans Wegner 1960s daybed with a snowy view. One of the couple's requests to Kauffman was for "as much glass as possible."

Above: Family craft books from the 1970s on the daybed's wool-felt mattress from Johannes Mohr. "We are all our happiest when we're here," says Edwards.

Above: The raised one-story house is entered via stairs. Kauffman detailed the passage from the living room to a bedroom with a narrow bridge and a barely visible panel of glass.

Above: The wood paneling continues in the house's three bedrooms. Clara's room is shown here.

Above: Clara in the guest room. The blanket is a vintage national park Pendleton.

Above: "The house is like an elevated shoebox that has a glass wall on one side," says Edwards.

All told, the project rang in at about $336,000—$236,000 for the turn-key house ("We got a good deal because Kaufmann is a friend," says Hranek), $12,000 in shipping costs, and the rest for site prep and other work done by the local crew, including electrical installation. "Unlike standard, stick-built construction, there were no surprises. What the Austrians said would happen, happened," adds Hranek. "This house is our think tank. It's the best thing we've ever done." As for Kauffman, he's since moved on to large-scale, one-of-a-kind projects, but we're hoping he makes his way back to the world of prefab.

]]>http://www.remodelista.com/posts/matthew-hranek-and-yolanda-edwards-austrian-made-prefab-house-in-upstate-new-york-by-architect-oskar-leo-kaufmann
http://www.remodelista.com/posts/matthew-hranek-and-yolanda-edwards-austrian-made-prefab-house-in-upstate-new-york-by-architect-oskar-leo-kaufmannThu, 20 Nov 2014 06:00:00 -0800Margot GuralnickCan anyone resist the sensation of walking barefoot on a heated floor? If you’re just embarking on a renovation or building a new house, consider installing radiant heating (also known as underfloor heating), an energy-efficient way to keep warm throughout the cold months. As an architect who has supervised and survived many remodels, I have experienced radiant floor heating in other people's houses and covet it in my own. Here’s the lowdown on the subject: Read on if you're ready to rip up your floors in the name of cost-effective, energy-efficient heat.

1. What is radiant floor heating?

Invented by the engineering-savvy ancient Romans, who had slaves fanning wood-burning fires under elevated marble floors, radiant floor heating is an under-the-floor heating system that conducts heat through the floor surface rather than through the air (as in conventional forced-air heating systems).

2. How does radiant floor heating work?

The two most common types of radiant-floor heating systems are electric (heat via electric wires) and hydronic (heat via hot water tubes), both of which are buried underneath the floor. Here's how the two compare: Electric radiant-floor heating systems are easier and more affordable to install, but more expensive to operate, making them ideal for heating small areas. Hydronic systems are less expensive to operate, so they work well for large floor areas and even entire houses. The caveat is that they come with higher initial costs because they're more complicated to install and require heated water from a boiler or a water heater. For more on the pros and cons of each system and which might be better suited to you, see Radiant Floor Heating: Electric vs. Hydronic by San Francisco contractor Jeff King of Jeff King & Company, a member of the Remodelista Architect and Designer Directory.

Above L: An electric wire system being installed in a bathroom. Photograph via Maud Plantiga on Flickr. Above R: A hydronic system waiting for the flooring to be installed. Photograph via Triangle Tube.

3. What are the pros of radiant floor heating?

Not only does radiant floor heating keep your toes warm, but it ensures that the rest of your body will be kept at a comfortable temperature as well. Waves of infrared radiation rising from the floor warm up the building mass, insuring that heat isn't lost to surrounding surfaces. In a conventional forced-air heating system, heated air (along with dust and allergens) rises to the ceiling and drops back down as its temperature lowers, making it difficult to keep your toes warm even if everything above your shoulders is boiling. "We experience pure warmth with radiant floor heating. As we heat up from our feet, we stay warmer at a lower temperature," says contractor Jeff King. Delivering heat and comfort efficiently, what’s not to love?

Above: The diagram on the left illustrates the principle of radiant floor heating in which heated surfaces transmit heat to all surrounding objects. There is no loss of heat because everything is at the same temperature. The diagram on the right illustrates how heated air in a conventional forced-air system rises to the ceiling and then comes back down as cool air. This explains how you can still be cold when the thermostat says 72 degrees. Diagram via Sustainability Workshop.

4. What are the cons of radiant floor heating?

A radiant-floor heating system is difficult to install after a floor is already in place, and it's really only feasible if you're prepared to remove your floors or are building a new house. While there are new products, such as electric radiant pads, that can be installed between the joists underneath your floor, they require access from below via a basement or crawl space. Lack of one or the other is a deal breaker.

5. Which flooring materials work best with radiant heat?

While all flooring materials can be used with heated floors, some work more effectively than others. Some general rules of thumb: Materials with thermal-conducting properties (stone, concrete, ceramic tile) conduct, transfer, and hold heat effectively while withstanding high temperatures. Solid wood floors can shrink and expand with fluctuating temperatures leaving unsightly gaps. If you’re in love with wood floors, however, an experienced wood-floor installer will be able to manage potential shrinkage. Vinyl and plastic laminate floors also come with temperature limitations, while carpets have insulating properties that potentially reduce heat flow.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on November 14, 2013, as part of our Under the Covers Issue.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/remodeling-101-five-things-to-know-about-radiant-floor-heating-under-floor-heatingThu, 20 Nov 2014 02:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayWe’ve been big fans of French designer Caroline Gomez since 2009, when she launched her first collection of home furnishings and accessories. Light of touch with practical purpose, the designs are first prototyped in Gomez’s studio in Bordeaux, France, before being sent out for artisanal manufacturing by French craftsmen. Partial to keeping things close to home, Gomez invited us into the live/work home and studio that she shares with her husband and young daughter, where her specialist training as a colorist is soon evident.

Above: Gomez's home and studio are in a former jukebox repair shop built in the 1930s. In the open, all-white main space, she uses color to define the living, dining, and work areas.

Above: By introducing a wall of windows, as well as skylights and internal glass partitions, Gomez filled the house with daylight and integrated her urban courtyard into the main space. Her furnishings are a mix of her own designs and midcentury Scandinavian pieces.

Above: Defined by a yellow wall, the dining area sits outside the kitchen, which is sectioned off by a partial glass partition. The dining table is surrounded by an assortment of midcentury greatest hits: two Panton Chairs by Verner Panton, the Series 7 Side Chair by Arne Jacobsen, and the Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair.

Above: Gomez includes a block of color in the kitchen with a pink, under-the-counter Smeg refrigerator. Note the carefully chosen pastel accessories.

Above: A painted rectangle of mint green demarcates the living room, while a light blue patch calls out Gomez's studio beyond.

Above: A closer look at the mint green that quietly defines the living area. The standing wood lamp is Gomez's La Baladeuse design.

Above: Gomez painted her studio a light blue that crosses a corner and extends two-thirds of the way up the walls.

Above: The color specialist finds inspiration in fabric color samples and organizes her books on the top of the bookcase by hue.

Above: In the master bedroom, Gomez plays with blocks of color. La Torche, another of her lamp designs, sits on bedside wooden drawers painted pink and gray to match the walls.

Above: By turning the corner with the block of gray paint, Gomez alludes to a headboard.

Above: In the family room area, Gomez painted a band of gray to wainscot height to ground the daybed and midcentury credenza. She used her own Linge Longue shelves to form a corner display of cards, drawings, and photographs.

Intrigued by Gomez's use of pink and want to give a it a try? See color specialist Eve Aschcraft's post about Ways to Introduce Pink.

More Stories from Remodelista

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/french-designer-caroline-gomez-unleashes-the-power-of-pastels-at-home-in-bordeauxWed, 19 Nov 2014 04:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayAs property values in metropolitan areas continue their prohibitive rise, urban families are always on the hunt for creative, affordable living solutions. Founding partners of Canadian architecture firm Studio Junction Christine Ho Ping Kong and Peter Tan designed their own home in Toronto to explore how they might use an ancient approach to architecture to transform urban infill into habitable plots, creating their own brand of urban alchemy.

Above: The greatest challenge to building a house on urban infill is the potential lack of natural daylight. To solve the problem of their site—situated in a mixed-use, industrial neighborhood—Kong and Tan took inspiration from age-old courtyard housing. Their design revolves around two courtyards, one at ground level and the other on the second floor. The light from the secondary courtyard draws daylight not only into the second floor but the office on the first floor as well.

Above: The courtyard on the ground level separates the house from the office studio, creating a communal space for both structures and functioning as the primary source of natural daylight.

Above: The living room, kitchen, and dining area all look onto the courtyard.

Above: A view from the house across the courtyard into the couple's studio workshop.

Above: The office has two sources of natural daylight: light from the courtyard and light from a skylight.

Above: The couple run their architecture practice from the office, which is top-lit from the secondary courtyard at the rear of the house.

Above: Tan, a woodworker as well as architect, built the majority of the finely crafted house, including the stairs with built-in storage.

Above: The second-floor courtyard is a favorite play area.

Above: Window boxes thrive thanks to light from the secondary courtyard and moist air from the shower.

Above: Japanese shoji-style screens allow the light from the courtyard to come through the bathroom and into the hallway.

Above: A built-in bed and storage divide the children's room from the master bedroom. A sliding partiton within the bed provides easy access in both directions. For more innovative children's beds, see 10 Favorites: Creative Beds for Children.

Above: The original contractor warehouse that sat on the site. Photograph via Dwell.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/urban-alchemy-in-toronto-by-studio-junctionMon, 17 Nov 2014 04:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayScenario: Beth Dadswell and Andrew Wilbourne, a creative couple with a young son, become their own clients when they take on the renovation of a 1,750-square-foot, semi-detached Victorian in Dulwich, South London. They come with experience: She's a fashion editor turned interior designer and the founder of Imperfect Interiors (motto: "Because who wants to live in a soulless showroom?"); he's a graphic designer.

The Challenge: How to reinstate the original Victorian grandeur of the house while also telegraphing a comfortable and casual vibe?

The Solution: They introduce light into the tall, dark public spaces by knocking through two strategic walls and installing new glass doors that open to the garden.

Dadswell's Top Tip: Spend time thinking about the space before you pick up a hammer: "The work you devote at the front end of a project, researching and putting together mood boards, makes for much easier and less stressful decisions later."

Above: The first wall that Dadswell removed was the one dividing the dining room and kitchen, where she also opened the space to the garden with a large, bifold, glazed door. "This part of the house gets the most use and is where I think the biggest transformation occurred," she says. By building the banquette seating right up to the kitchen counters, the dining room intentionally feels like it's part of the kitchen and garden. Adds Dadswell: "Having built-in seating means that you can fit more people around the table and hide ugly stuff in the storage underneath." She sourced the enamel pendants, cloth cord, and fittings on eBay, and made the seating pads from her mother's old curtains.

Above: Dadswell also removed the wall that separated the house's two old-fashioned parlor rooms and introduced large French doors that lead to the garden and flood the room with light. The couple's son, Louis, watches a television hidden in a custom cabinet. The black-and-white graphic carpet is from Ikea.

Above: In the living room, the alcoves flanking the restored fireplace were put to use as shelving. The curtains are Ikea's Aina design in linen, and the the graphic woven carpet is from the Designer's Guild.

Above: The mantel still life includes dried hydrangea in a vase by glass artist Michael Ruh (who is selling his wares at this Saturday's Remodelista Market in London) and a bark owl from Petersham Nurseries. "Rooms should be a mix of inherited pieces, things picked up along the way, and items chosen for specific purposes," says Dadswell. "The key is to get them all to work cohesively through color and style."

Above: In the stairwell, Dadswell painted the wall Lamp Room Gray by Farrow & Ball and the railing Farrow & Ball's Down Pipe. She introduced a bright carpet and displays massed artwork to provide interest and contrast to the three-story-high wall.

Above: The gallery-style bathroom has tongue-and-groove paneling capped by a Carrara marble shelf. Two rows of subway tiles (Retro Metro by Fired Earth) provide a minimal backsplash. The vintage claw-foot tub was sourced on eBay.

Above: Beth Dadswell in her kitchen. "We sanded and painted wood-fronted Ikea cabinets and then added vintage handles," she says. "Nobody believes that the cabinets are from Ikea—it all comes down to the details."

Before

Above: The avocado kitchen was dated and gloomy.

Above: Dadswell replaced the existing single kitchen door with double French doors that bring in more light.

Above: "These are the dining room cabinets in their original state before I sanded them and attached vintage handles," says Dadswell. (You can get a tiny glimpse of the After in the first photo.) "There's a lot of wood in the house, and it had all been stained in a heavy Victorian shade of brown that made everything feel quite oppressive."

Above: The house's existing floor plan before the renovation. The major work was done on the ground floor; the red dotted lines indicate where walls were removed, and the blue dotted lines show where old openings were replaced with larger ones.

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/before-and-after-imperfect-interiors-beth-dadswell-london-victorian-remodelThu, 13 Nov 2014 06:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayThis weekend Jennifer Beningfield, founding principal of London's Openstudio Architects and a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory, talks to us about a passive solar house she designed in the Great Karoo, a semidesert region of South Africa. She'll be available for the next 48 hours to answer any and all questions about her design solution. Ask away!

The Scenario: A family of stargazers want to build an energy-efficient vacation place in a faraway location that is the antithesis of their home in London. They choose the remote, semidesert region of the Great Karoo in South Africa thanks to its cloudless skies and dark nights—perfect for stargazing.

The Challenge: The area's harsh climate—cold winters and 104-degree summers—lead Beningfield to explore various state-of-the-art, energy-efficient solutions. But she's concerned that the location—4 1/2 hours from Cape Town, the nearest city—means high installation and maintenance costs.

The Solution: Beningfield turns to the age-old principles of passive solar building design to create a house that heats and cools itself—without technology.

The Result: A green house that responds to the site's dramatic landscape and climate, harvesting its own energy. And the stars? They, too, have a say in Beningfield’s design. “The positions of the windows and shutters in the house are linked to the constellations,” she says. “These openings are also light sources at night, so they tie the details of the house to the night skies.”

Beningfield's Top Tips

Don’t start the design process with preconceptions of how a building should look. Let the language of the architecture develop from the surrounding environment.

When working in a remote location, it's critical to have a complete and coordinated set of drawings. We spent a lot of time planning this project and it really paid off—very few issues cropped up during construction.

For the next 48 hours, Beningfield is available to answer any and all questions. Ask away!

Photography by Jennifer Beningfield.

Above: The site conditions—sun angles, the surrounding Swartberg mountain range, and harsh temperatures— determined that the house have an east-west orientation and an irregular floor plan (with spaces at varying heights). It also helped determine the choice of brick and concrete, building materials with a high thermal mass.

"The house's orientation means that primary rooms with large openings, such as the living room, face north and catch the sun during most of the day," says Beningfield. "The geography of the mountain ranges generates the irregular geometry of the house and the layering of the volumes connects to the layering of the mountains. It was important to us that the house meet the profile of the mountains in a subtle way."

Above: The limited materials palette unfolds in the living spaces, where the finish on the walls is the same limewash-on-rough-cast plaster that's on the exterior. The dark bricks are laid on edge in a herringbone pattern and the ash window frames hint at more warm accents to come. The pair of Wood and Leather Ashanti Chairs are from Weylandts, a Namibian/South African furniture company.

Above: Ash reappears in the dining room, where it's used for bookshelves. The vertical supports echo the building's slot-shaped openings and incorporate LED lighting strips. "There are no surface-mounted light fittings in the house; all the lights are integrated into the architecture or joinery details," says Beningfield. "We lowered the energy consumption of the house by limiting devices that consume power."

Above: In the dining room, the view is to the south, across a neighbor's vineyard and toward the Swartberg mountains. The teak Hans Wegner–inspired Shanghai Chairs are also from Weylandts.

Above: In the kitchen, the cabinets are faced with ash veneer and have turned handles of solid ash. The dark brick floor is in contrast to the living room's herringbone. "The brick floor is just a paving brick laid on edge, but we were very careful about the patterns in which it has been laid," says Beningfield. "This is how we added texture and complexity to the building."

Above: In the winter afternoon sun, shadows from an external wood shutter are cast on the brick floor in the living room. "The light patterns in this house are always moving," Beningfield says. "As the house acts to intensify light and to modulate heat and cold, its inhabitants are highly attuned to living in the natural world."

Above: "In the summer, a cooling wind blows from the mountains, and the tall spaces of the living room and library have high shutters that dissipate hot air during the day and bring in the cooling breeze at night," says Beningfield. "The small pivoting shutters are used primarily for ventilation, while the slot windows let in slivers of light."

Above: The minimalist palette continues in the hallway that leads to the master bedroom suite. "I chose ash because it's a sustainable wood for which we could get certification," explains Beningfield. "Its lighter color contrasts well with the dark brick, which was chosen because it absorbs heat and is a material that can be used both inside and out. White limewash is a typical material in this area and connects to the history of building in the Karoo."

Above: In the winter with the shutters open, the dark brick floor collects and stores heats and then radiates it in the evening when it's cooler.

Above: On the terrace, metal-framed, ash shutters slide on bottom-rolling tracks and are used to create shade and a degree of insulation.

Above: The various volumes of the house were put to use as a rooftop escape: "The owners can retreat into different spaces on the roof depending on the time of day, the season, and how much privacy they're seeking."

Above: "During the summer, the evenings are warm and the desert sky is full of stars," says Beningfield. "The roof terrace has a circle of seating that surrounds a fire pit with a partial wall to screen out the strong wind that blows off the mountain. This is a social place where the family can sit out at night and see the whole of the sky."

Above: "The house has an interesting scale. It looks small against the mountains but also has a significant presence in the landscape." Of the western elevation, shown here, Beningfield says, "We didn't add many openings because the sun is burning hot in the summer."

Above: The ground-floor plan of the house illustrates its east-west orientation and irregular floor plan.

Above: The second-floor plan illustrates the separate volumes that form the roofscape, including the circular seating and a long bench that can be used for lying down to take in the stars.

Above: A drawing of the main elevation shows the sliding wood doors that can be closed to block the sun and opened for air circulation.

See other examples of Openstudio's environmentally thoughtful design in our posts:

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/architect-is-in-jennifer-beningfield-openstudios-passive-solar-house-great-karoo-south-africaSat, 08 Nov 2014 04:00:00 -0800Christine Chang HanwayThe Scenario: A Japanese couple buys a plot of land in the middle of a persimmon (kaki) orchard near the city of Yokkaichi, Japan, where they aspire to build a single-level family house with tall ceilings and wide-open, loft-like spaces that take advantage of the views of the surrounding orchard.

The Challenge: The couple's architect, Keiichi Kiriyama of the Ogaki-based Airhouse Design, has only 1,400 square feet to work with, due to zoning requirements. This means he needs to meet the varied programmatic requirements that come from family living—three bedrooms, a guest room, a library, a den, four storage areas, a large walk-in closet, a separate shoe closet, and a cat's room (yes, you read that correctly)—without adding a second story.

The Solution: In one double-height, shed-like space with a large roof set on seven thick columns, the family's loft-living aspirations are reconciled with their programmatic requirements. Kiriyama located all the private spaces in the columns, and at the same time freed up the public living spaces to circulate around the columns in their full double-height glory.

The Result: Unrestricted by the height limitations that would have been imposed with the addition of a second floor, the interiors feature large areas of double-height rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer expansive views of the sky and kaki trees. At the same time, the columns hide the detritus of daily living. Happiness for all, even the cat. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?

Above: A view from the living area up to the dining area. The public spaces circulate around the columns, which hold the private rooms and have large expanses of glass open to views of the sky and orchard.

Above: A small tree grows in the middle of the indoor/outdoor terrace.

Above: The second floors of the double-height columns are accessed through individual sets of lightweight metal stairs or ladders that resemble mini fire escapes.

Above: A series of steps lead from the living area to either the kitchen/dining area on the right of the walk-in closet on the left.

Above: The kitchen and dining areas are shaped by four of the seven columns, which are punctuated by window openings.

Above: One of the many double-height, expansive views is available from the kitchen prep area.

Above: A built-in bench provides efficient seating in the passage between columns.

Above: A sheer curtain obscures the view of the neighboring house across the way.

Above: The sheer curtain and change in floor material from concrete to wood indicate the separation between the entry terrace and the interior of the house. The cat's room is behind the small door under the metal stair.

Above: A view of the open landscape from the second floor of one of the columns.

Above: The interior of the column that faces the kitchen island is lined with wood and houses two small children's playrooms stacked on top of each other.

Above: A view from an interior room into the kaki orchard.

Above: In the bathroom, a glass partition separates the wet area from the dry area.

Above: From the exterior, the house resembles a double-height shed.

Above: The house is nestled into the kaki orchard.

Above: The first and second floor plans of the house illustrate the division between public spaces in the open areas and private spaces enclosed in the thick columns.

See houses around the world that have been inspired by Japanese design:

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/small-space-loft-airhouse-designFri, 31 Oct 2014 02:00:00 -0700Christine Chang HanwayOn the coast of Brittany, architects Lucie Niney and Thibault Marca of Paris-based NeM Architectes discovered "a vacation home frozen in time." The challenge was to add a bedroom without sacrificing any of the quaint atmosphere. The solution? They designed a mirror image—an even tinier replica—and connected the two buildings with a small walkway.

To create a mirror image effect, the architects wanted to complement the existing white cottage with a dark addition. (Black is a color often seen on the foggy Brittany coast, where nearby oyster huts are frequently coated with a black paint described as a tar.) But instead of painting the cottage black, Niney and Marca decided to burn it.

Above: Old and new. The two cottages are joined by a walkway clad in charred Douglas fir.

Before

Above: Working with a budget of $45,000 and a mandate to add a bedroom to the vacation cottage, the architects decided to build a second peaked structure alongside the house.

Above: During a recent trip to Japan, the architects had become interested in the Japanese charred-wood technique of shou sugi ban. Charring wood makes it weather- and mold-resistant, a benefit near the sea.

Above: The architects' plan called for a freestanding charred-wood cottage connected by a walkway to the existing house.

Above: The new cottage is clad in charred Douglas fir.

After

Above: The two cottages share a terrace.

Above: The bedroom in the new cottage has floor-to-ceiling doors instead of a wall, to connect it to the backyard.

Above: Connected by a covered walkway to the existing house, the new cottage is a mini replica of the old.

Above: From the road, the new charred wood cottage is reminiscent of the dark-stained facades of nearby oyster huts.

For more about shou sugi ban, see Torched Lumber, and read Gardenista's posts:

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http://www.remodelista.com/posts/before-and-after-a-charred-wood-cottage-on-a-45k-budgetThu, 30 Oct 2014 10:30:00 -0700Michelle SlatallaThe Scenario: Fashion designers Momo Suzuki and Alexander Yamaguchi launch their minimalist-chic clothing line Black Crane in 2008. Not long after that, the two—Japanese transplants who met in LA nearly 20 years ago—decide it's time to go looking for their dream house. They picture a modernist Schindler classic with views and acres—but happily settle for a tree-shaded 1948 bungalow in Pasadena built by the seller and his son.

The Challenge: Untouched for decades, the 1,200-square-foot house is gloom-central inside and just about every inch needs tending. "It was bad," says Momo, "a true fixer."

The Solution: Momo and Alex's design skills, they discover, translate well to interiors. With help from a construction crew, they re-tailor the place themselves, removing walls, replacing windows with French doors, installing a new bath, and generally infusing the rooms with a look that's equal parts midcentury modern and Japanese serene.

Top Takeaway: 1. "You can change the interior, but not the location," says Momo—so choose a setting that you like. 2. A limited budget forces you to be resourceful. "There are always tons of approaches you can take to a remodel, but we had to be very mindful of costs. We discovered that sometimes you find a better solution by respecting the current condition of the space." 3. Let 'simple and functional' be your mantra.

Above: In the kitchen the couple added new walnut counters and shelves, and relocated existing wall cabinets to nearly ceiling height to lend an airiness. They also introduced new brass hardware to the windows and cupboards. Originally hoping to replace the linoleum floor with organically shaped terracotta tiles, they instead used slate—"it was a third of the price." They're contemplating extending the slate partially up a wall.

Above: "We like to have long, leisurely breakfasts, enjoying the views of the big oak trees around the house," says Momo. Here they're shown at their eight-foot-long table—"chosen to emphasize an open feeling"—with chairs by Arne Hovmand-Olsen.

Momo and Alex both made their way to the States as teens—she in pursuit of environmental art studies and he as a professional surfer (who subsequently became a graphic designer and then launched his own eponymous fashion line, the men's wear companion to Black Crane). The collector of the family, Alex stalks Scandinavian and Dutch midcentury arcana from foreign vendors on eBay.

Above: "This is how we spend our weekends: My husband likes to take care of all the plants while I read magazines." They were able to remove the wall between the dining and living rooms by installing a wooden support beam—one of the most involved (and costly) maneuvers of the remodel. They also cut out a window above the sofa to connect the public and private parts of the house.

Above: The couple's favorite corner of the living room features a Serge Mouille light and a ceramic wall tile installation by Stan Bitters, an LA sculptor who got his start in the sixties and is still going strong. The sectional sofa is from VIesso, an LA company that offers custom details and sizes.

Above: The living room is furnished with Alexander's finds. The daybed is by A. R. Cordemeier and the credenza is from Dutch designer Cees Braakman's 1950s Japanese series. "Eventually we want to build a super-long counter along the window wall," Momo says. The oak flooring is original—"fortunately all we had to do was re-sand and add one clear coat." The windows, too, are original "with some new brass hardware to sharpen the look."

Above: A wooden threesome: sculptures by Hideki Takayama and Alma Allen, and a piece of cork, a souvenir from a trip to Corsica.

Above: A tile by Stan Bitters and a bronze bowl by Alma Allen.

Above: A collection of midcentury ceramics on another Cees Braakman cabinet from his Japanese series.

Above: To connect indoors and out, Momo and Alexander installed several sets of French doors, including at the entry, shown here (where they replaced a single wood door). After puzzling over how to afford French doors, they used wood-framed windows, $200 a panel, from Home Depot and stained the wood themselves. A friend at Hot Metal Soup, in New York, made the front handles.

Above: A teak and oak chair by Danish designer Ib Kofod-Larsen and hanging coat rack in the entry. For similar polished teak and chrome racks, see Amsterdam Modern in LA.

Above: The master bedroom overlooks a "green curtain," thanks to newly installed French doors. The bedding is from Remodelista favorite Matteo and the white curtains are from Ikea: "You don't need to spend much for everything—we mix high quality with reasonable items; it creates a good balance."

Above: Momo and Alex keep the house largely pattern- and color-free to maintain Zen calm—but fill it with sculptural shapes, such as these hanging hats.

Above: A window removed from the guest room was put to use in the overhauled bathroom. The couple found a bathtub they liked in a showroom and then tracked down the same model online for less. "We wanted to have a view from the tub, so we moved the bath to the window wall." They had the mirror fabricated by a local frame shop and then finished it to match their walnut counter. Adds Momo, "Because the space is small, we wanted it to feel more like a room than a bathroom, so we added tile only to the shower area—we bought discontinued subway tile for 99 cents a square foot."

Above: The toughest design decision? "Figuring out the exterior color for the house," says Momo. "Always make sure to test it out on a big patch of wall." She advises looking at the color from a distance and at several points in the day, with and without sunlight. She and Alex considered several options and lived with them for a while before committing to a color that they call "gray forest." (Alas, that was a while back and they've forgotten the specific brand and shade.)

Above: "We're preserving the wildness of our yard—it's nice to come home from our office downtown and see this." Go to Black Crane and Alexander Yamaguchi for their latest collections.